A man was handed down two life sentences plus an additional 120 years for a shooting incident in March 2023. The incident resulted in the death of two individuals and left five others injured.
Jabre Griffith was sentenced to two life sentences plus 120 years for killing Ernest Hall and Micah Strong, as well as injuring five others, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced Tuesday.
In November 2024, he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, along with other related charges.
Police were called to the 2800 block of Edmondson Ave. for a shooting report around midnight on March 23, 2023.
Upon arriving at the scene, the police discovered six individuals who had sustained gunshot wounds, with Hall tragically having succumbed to their injuries.
Around 11:20 p.m., police received a report of a shooting in the 5400 block of York Rd.
The victims were discovered at Union Memorial Hospital, where they were being treated for multiple gunshot wounds, according to officials.
Video footage from the vicinity of the initial shooting revealed a vehicle pulling up to a gas station, from which three individuals emerged before commencing gunfire. The police successfully traced the video, aiding in their investigation.
According to officers, the driver stayed inside the car and permitted the shooters to get back into the vehicle before escaping from the scene.
Three individuals exited the vehicle and entered a waiting car, a 2012 white Infiniti G37 registered to Griffith, in the 1200 block of N. Franklintown Rd., according to officials.
Griffith’s vehicle then proceeded to Richie’s Lounge, where surveillance footage captured the presence of the individuals alongside Griffith’s co-defendant, Kamal Brown.
According to the police, Brown entered the bar for a short period of time and then left before returning to Griffith’s vehicle.
During the investigations of both shootings, law enforcement officers discovered .40 caliber shell casings at the crime scenes. Further analysis confirmed that these shell casings were fired from the same handgun.
Moreover, the investigators discovered Griffith’s DNA on the latex gloves that were retrieved from the location where the shooters exchanged vehicles following the initial shooting incident.
When Griffith was just an 18-year-old senior at Dunbar High School in June 2023, he found himself arrested.
“I do not take a sentence of this length lightly when it is imposed on a defendant, but when someone so clearly has no regard for the lives of others, it is without question that they are a threat to the safety of our entire city,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates, via a press release. “It is a miracle more people weren’t killed during Mr. Griffith’s rampage of violence and destruction, and it is especially tragic that one of the victims was a juvenile who will forever be changed by this experience. I want to thank my homicide team for their work on this case, which is still ongoing as we prepare for the co-defendant’s trial in March.”
Griffith’s co-defendant, Brown, is set to go on trial separately on March 6, 2025.