The arrival of December’s holiday season brought a 15 percent decrease in homicides and a 21 percent increase in non-fatal shooting incidents, Baltimore Witness data shows. Overall, the city saw 11 homicides and 17 non-fatal shootings, a slight difference from November’s respective totals of 13 and 14. The total combined number of non-fatal shootings and homicides, however, saw no change across the two months.
Of the nine homicides that occurred last month, Baltimore Police made successful arrests in two.
Howard County resident Emanuel Thomas, 34, was arrested the day after Christmas in connection to the murder of Shanelle Cawthorne, 50, which occurred two weeks prior on the 800 block of Chesapeake Avenue. Cawthorne was shot during the early morning hours of Dec. 12, 2025, and medics pronounced her deceased on the scene. Officers arrested Thomas on the 1200 block of E. Preston Street and charged him with murder and multiple gun violations.
Five days after Thomas’ arrest on New Year’s Eve, Baltimore Police apprehended 31-year-old Davahughn Johnson and charged him with the first-degree murder of 32-year-old Charles Brothers. Brothers was fatally shot just hours into his birthday while in a parking lot near Cross Street Market in Federal Hill. Investigators later learned the murder culminated from a verbal dispute on the 1000 block of Light Street.
December also saw the city record its first mass shootings since last August. Two struck the city last month, claiming three lives and leaving six injured.
The first, which occurred during the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2025 in Carrollton Ridge, left 56-year-old Leroy Alexander deceased on the scene and 42-year-old Erika Power hospitalized with critical injuries. Despite attempts to treat her injuries, Power died later the same day. A 36-year-old man and 26-year-old woman also sustained critical injuries. Baltimore Police have yet to release updates regarding either surviving victim.
Just nine days later, officers patrolling near an East Baltimore neighborhood heard gunshots and responded to a residence where they found three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. A 54-year-old woman was pronounced deceased on the scene. The surviving victims consist of four men between the ages of 20 and 31.
Police have yet to announce arrests in either mass shooting.
