Hykeem Desean Cummings, 20, is set to receive a trial date in May for the September 2023 robbery and fatal shooting of 15-year-old Rashid Maxwell Jr. in West Baltimore. The move came in a hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Copeland on Feb. 24.
Prosecutors say, the case against Cummings involves a violent confrontation, a minor accomplice, and the targeted theft of a firearm. Cummings faces a 10-count indictment that includes charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy, and three gun violations, including possession of a firearm as a minor.
On Sept. 25, 2023, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a report of violence on the 1300 block of Gilmor Street, where Cummings and an unnamed minor reportedly targeted Maxwell in a coordinated armed robbery. The assailants allegedly confronted the teenager to steal a book bag containing a rifle. During the encounter, Maxwell was assaulted and fatally shot.
Investigators bolstered their case by recovering CCTV surveillance footage from the area, which captured the movements of the suspects during the incident. Multiple eyewitnesses also provided testimony to Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers, identifying Cummings as the individual allegedly responsible for the killing. The recovered digital evidence and witness accounts placed the defendant near the location of the crime at the time of the shooting.
Cummings will remain in custody until his pre-trial conference on May 15, during which counsel is set to resolve outstanding matters and set a date for trial.
