Venable Avenue Shooting Defendants Push For Joint Trial

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The three defendants charged in the Venable Avenue shooting, 24-year-old Deshawn Gwaltney, 24-year-old Shabria Destiny McCleod and 21-year-old Broderick Young, pushed for a joint trial on July 22.

On March 29, four individuals identified as Young, Gwaltney and two unidentified males drove to the 400 block of Venable Avenue in a rented Jeep Compass. Young, the driver, reportedly stayed in the car, while Gwaltney and the two unidentified males exited the vehicle and began firing. The gunfire injured four individuals — an 18-year-old male, a 25-year-old male, a 57-year-old female and a 61-year-old male. All four individuals were taken to the hospital for their non-fatal gunshot wounds.

Following the incident, Gwaltney and McCleod allegedly made several phone calls to Gwaltney’s brother, who was incarcerated for drug and firearm charges. In one call, McCleod reportedly said Gwaltney removed multiple firearms from her home shortly before the incident.

Gwaltney and Young are both charged with four counts each of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and firearm use in a felony violent crime, as well as single counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree assault.

During the hearing, the prosecution offered both co-defendants a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years, for attempted first degree murder, 20 concurrent years for their firearms charges and another 60 concurrent years for conspiracy charges, all running concurrent to each other. Both defendants rejected the offer.

McCleod, who is charged with conspiracy after the fact, does not currently have a plea offer.

All three defendants are slated to return to court Sept. 4 for a motions hearing to request a joint trial.