Trial Date Set For Gang Member Involved in Triple Shooting

By Katherine Strauch [former] , Carly Schiller [former], Evan McNeil [former], Zoe Foringer-Laing [former] - June 23, 2021
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Seven years after a triple shooting occurred, a murder defendant got an additional trial date during postponement court at the Baltimore City Circuit Court on June 22. Judge Melissa M. Phinn heard two homicide cases, as well as four non-fatal shooting cases.

Laser Womack, 34, was offered a plea deal of 30 years for second-degree murder. He is also charged with carrying a handgun. His assistant public defenders Sharon Dubey, Natalie Novack, and Darcia Rufus rejected the plea offer.

According to Fox Baltimore, Womack was previously found guilty and sentenced to 80 years in prison, suspending all but 40 years, for his role in a triple shooting that occurred on March 25, 2014, inside a home on 8th Street in Brooklyn.

The Baltimore Sun reported that Womack and his associates entered the home and opened fire. The shooting left 21-year-old Johniese Sheppard dead and two others injured.

Womack, who is a member of the Black Guerilla Family gang, will go to trial for this case on July 23.

The plea offer was also rejected in the case of Yonah White.

White, 19, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and firearm use and one count each of attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. 

The prosecution offered White a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years, with five years of probation. Defense attorney Maureen Rowland rejected the offer, and the case was scheduled for reception court on Oct. 12. 

According to CBS Baltimore, White was arrested in connection with the homicide of 19-year-old Deon Brown on Oct. 13, 2020, on the 600 block of N. Ellwood Avenue.

The incident of the final homicide defendant, Theresa Henry-Cooper, was also in October 2020.

The prosecution offered Henry-Cooper, 42, a plea deal of life, suspending all but 50 years, with 5 years probation for first-degree murder, and 15 years for firearm use in a violent crime. Under the deal, the sentences would run concurrently. 

Assistant public defender Anne Stewart-Hill neither accepted nor rejected the offer. She will do so on behalf of her client by July 28.

A non-fatal shooting defendant also did not accept or reject a plea offer from the prosecution. 

Baltimore resident Melvin Tucker, represented by defense attorney Robert Cole, Jr., was offered a plea deal of 50 years, suspending all but eight years, for attempted second-degree murder; five years without parole for firearm use in a violent crime; and three years for reckless endangerment, as well as three years of supervised probation upon release. The sentences would run concurrently.

In connnection to an attempted murder on Dec. 15, 2019, Tucker, 39, is charged with two counts each of attempted first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, firearm use in a violent crime, reckless endangerment; three counts of carrying a handgun 100 yards in Baltimore; and one count of carrying a handgun on his person, having a handgun in his vehicle, discharging a gun in the city, and illegal possession of ammunition. 

His case was scheduled for postponement court on July 9.  

Judge Phinn also scheduled another trial for July in the case of Christopher T. Gibson, who faces 12 charges in connection to an attempted murder on Oct. 26, 2020.

His charges include attempted first and second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, carrying a handgun, and firearm use with a felony conviction, as well as two counts of firearm use and first and second-degree assault. 

The prosecution offered a plea deal of life, suspending all but 25 years, with 3 years probation for attempted first-degree murder, and a concurrent sentence of 25 years for first-degree assault. Defense attorneys Chris Purpura and Brian G. Thompson rejected this offer. 

Gibson, 33, will go to trial on July 27.  

The plea offer was also rejected in the case of 21-year-old Kamron Walker.

On Walker’s behalf, assistant public defender Isabel Lipman rejected a plea offer of life, suspending all but 30 years, the first five years without probation, as well as three years of probation.

In connection to a non-fatal shooting on Oct. 10, 2020, Walker is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, firearm use in a violent crime, and conspiracy to use a firearm in a violent crime.

He also faces two counts each of firearm possession with a felony conviction, carrying a handgun on his person, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, discharging firearms, and illegal possession of ammunition. 

A motions hearing to suppress a pre-trial identification is scheduled for Nov. 23 with the trial date scheduled for the next day. 

The final non-fatal shooting defendant Judge Phinn heard was Baltimore resident Lorenzo Kevin Terry.

Terry, 27, is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, firearm use and one count of firearm possession with a felony conviction, carrying a handgun, and discharging a firearm in connection to a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Nov. 17, 2018.

After asking for a case update, assistant public defender Cal Stafilatos was informed that the case is on appeal.