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By
Andrew Michaels
- March 17, 2023
Attempted Murder
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Court
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Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Shooting
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Suspects
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“Imagine that a police officer witnesses a shooting—a shot of a rifle into a vehicle—and charges the person who was shot at. Isn’t that weird?”
According to defense counsel, this was what happened in the case of Shanikiqua Jones, who is on trial for the attempted murder of her ex-girlfriend on June 27, 2022.
The 30-year-old defendant was in her vehicle when another vehicle pulled up to her with four people inside, including her girlfriend at the time. During opening statements on March 16, defense attorney Koryn High said one of the individuals had a rifle and opened fire on Jones.
A Baltimore Police officer witnessed the shooting, she added, but only saw Jones return fire. Detectives then “changed the narrative to fit the facts that the officer saw.”
From the prosecution’s perspective, it was Jones who first fired into the other vehicle, shooting one of the victims in the back near his spine. Jones allegedly found out that her girlfriend was dating someone else earlier in the day, resulting in a verbal altercation that “got out of hand.”
After a passenger fired back at the defendant, Jones sped away up the street and through an intersection.
The prosecutor described everyone’s actions as “senseless violence and reckless acts,” which is the only fact High told the jury she agreed with in regard to the prosecution’s argument.
The trial proceeded with testimony before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Erik Atas and is expected to continue on March 17.