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By
Ester Allen
- September 4, 2025
Attempted Murder
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Court
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Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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The court heard opening statements on Sept. 4 in the trial of 21-year-old Zavon Beasley, who is accused of opening fire on four people outside a Frankford Avenue shopping center last September. Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Paul Alpert presided over the case.
Beasley is charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use in a violent crime, and illegal possession of a regulated firearm.
The prosecution told jurors the incident began with threats that escalated into gunfire. The prosecution used a presentation to convey the meaning of all five charges to the jurors. Beasley, say prosecutors, is accused of watching the victims as they walked into a store and making threatening remarks.
“I dare you to say something about me, and I’ll shoot you,” said a prosecutor as she described the case.
According to the prosecution, Beasley confronted two men outside a tobacco shop located adjacent to a repair store on Sept. 19, 2024. After a brief argument, a blue Honda pulled into the lot with a woman and a child inside. The prosecution said Beasley left the area but returned minutes later wearing black clothing and a ski mask.
Beasley allegedly stood near the Honda and shouted for patrons to come outside the tobacco shop before he opened fire. Jurors are expected to see surveillance video with audio that captured both the shooting and the screams of the child seated in the Honda’s back seat.
The prosecution acknowledged that no firearm was recovered but told jurors that the surveillance footage and witness testimony would identify Beasley as the shooter.
Defense attorney Jason Rodriguez countered that the prosecution lacked objective evidence and argued Beasley was never present at the shopping center. He claimed the prosecution’s case rests on assumptions about the suspect’s appearance.
“He wasn’t there,” the defense said. “He had no reason to be there.”
The trial is expected to last four days.