A Baltimore judge yesterday tossed the shooting case against 50-year-old Jonathan Lee Brunson after prosecutors told the court they had lost contact with the man who was shot and several key witnesses. Brunson had been accused of shooting a man in the face during the city’s Caribbean festival last July, with the alleged victim later seeking treatment at Union Memorial Hospital. With investigators unable to reach the people they needed to put on a case, the court agreed to drop the charges against Brunson.
Shooting and evidence
According to charging documents, the shooting unfolded on July 12, 2025, when a ShotSpotter alert drew officers to the 2300 block of Fulton Avenue, where investigators recovered three .38-caliber shell casings. The victim told detectives that he and an acquaintance had been walking back to a car when a fight broke out, and he was shot in the face. He got himself to Union Memorial Hospital, where medical staff reported that the bullet appeared to have exited through his neck. Officers reviewed nearby CCTV footage, and investigators say Brunson was seen walking with a handgun after the shooting. The victim later identified Brunson in a double-blind photo array, as detailed by Baltimore Witness.
Police appeal and earlier coverage
In the weeks after the July shooting, police released video and asked the public to help identify a person seen near the scene, even offering a reward for information. That outreach was highlighted in local reporting and social posts, with coverage noting the department’s request for tips from anyone with knowledge of the incident. One write-up said city police had police seek public help, and similar details appeared in TV pieces from Fox45 and WMAR, which both published the tip lines detectives asked the public to use.
Legal context
The state’s attorney told the court she had been unable to reach the victim and several witnesses for more than a week. Defense attorney John Cox joined the state’s motion to dismiss, and Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Kimberly C. McBride granted the request, according to Baltimore Witness. The court order does not specify whether the dismissal was entered with prejudice, a detail that determines whether prosecutors could refile the same charges. Legal guides note that many prosecutor-led dismissals (often called a nolle prosequi) are entered without prejudice - meaning charges can be refiled unless the record clearly blocks it - and that Maryland also uses tools like a “stet docket” to place cases in inactive status, per US Law Explained.
What happens next
For now, Brunson’s criminal case is closed, and the charges stemming from the Caribbean festival shooting are off the books. Investigators and prosecutors can revisit the matter if witnesses resurface or new evidence turns up. Anyone with information about the July shooting is still asked to contact Western District detectives at the number local outlets previously published or call Metro Crime Stoppers, which earlier coverage listed as the channels for tips.
