Last Man Sentenced in Bus Stop Double Homicide

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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer B. Schiffer amended 31-year-old Kevin Cleveland’s sentence on April 22, changing it from life, suspending all but 40 years, to 40 years with 5 years of supervised probation. He was the last of four co-defendants charged in a double homicide to face judgement.

Cleveland was initially charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree murder, three of firearm use in a violent crime, and one each of first- and second-degree assault in connection to an April 10, 2020 shooting incident that occurred at a bus stop in the 100 block of E. Patapsco Avenue. Cleveland had a clean record prior to the incident. The shooting left one victim injured but killed Kendrick Brown and William Barrett, both 20.

According to charging documents, officers responded to gunshots in the area at approximately 4:09 p.m. Upon arrival, officers located three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Brown and Barrett later succumbed to their injuries at an area hospital. The prosecution described the crime as an ambush.

While investigating, police recovered multiple shell casings and traces of blood. Surveillance footage from area businesses captured four suspects talking to Brown and Barrett in front of the incident location.

Following the conversation, one suspect was seen pulling out his gun and shooting Brown. The other suspects shot Barrett multiple times while chasing him down. Immediately after the shootings, the suspects fled the scene.

Police later identified the suspects as Cleveland, Antoine Trent, 23, Damien Mickens, 22, and Jabez Johnson, 23. Suspects were identified by their physical characteristics and association with the Bloods gang, as well as testimony from an eyewitness who identified the suspects in a photograph.

Mickens was sentenced to 123 years in prison in 2022 before Judge Schiffer, who sentenced the other co-defendants as follows:

Johnson: life, suspending all but 75 years, for conspiracy to murder, second-degree murder, and assault and weapons charges; and
Trent: life for first-degree murder, multiple counts of conspiracy to murder, and weapons charges.