On Aug 11, opening statements were presented before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart Mays in an assault case involving 26-year-old Steven Young Jr.–himself apparently wounded in the incident.
Young is charged with first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, handgun on person, firearm use in a felony or violent crime.
According to charging documents, officers responded to reports of gunfire on the 900 block of N. Wolfe Street around 1:07 a.m. A blood trail led from 1900 Ashland Avenue to the 900 block of N. Washington Street. Young later walked into Good Samaritan Hospital with a gunshot wound in his groin.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed Young and another man leaving a nearby hotel before a group of men chased their vehicle and opened fire. Officers recovered eight spent .40-caliber casings where Young was allegedly seen returning fire.
During opening statements the state prosecutor stressed that while Young was a victim he was also one of the shooters. He advised the jury that this was not a case of self-defense and that evidence presented in court would show that the defendant pulled out his gun and began shooting. Additionally, said the prosecutor, the defendant is not allowed to possess a firearm.
The defense attorney Christopher Purpura countered that the defendant neither fired a weapon nor possessed one citing that no weapon was found by police. The trial is set to continue on Aug 12.
