John Larry Booker, 23, is headed for a summer jury trial after turning down a plea deal in a downtown Baltimore group shooting that left a 30-year-old man wounded. The shooting took place on May 17 on the unit block of East Cross Street and ended with the victim being shot in the left foot. Jurors are set to hear the case starting June 29, with the trial expected to run for about three days.
What surveillance footage shows
According to court filings and surveillance video described by investigators, two groups squared off along East Cross Street. One man is seen firing three rounds into the air before the gun slips behind a flowerpot. Another member of the same group retrieves the weapon. The video then allegedly shows Booker and others in a parking garage on East West Street, where Booker appears to rack a gun. The groups cross paths again near South Charles and East Hamburg Streets, and the footage captures the 30-year-old man limping away while bleeding from his foot, as reported by Baltimore Witness.
Charges and possible penalties
Prosecutors have charged Booker with first-degree attempted homicide, second-degree attempted homicide, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, reckless endangerment, and multiple firearm counts. Under Maryland law, a first-degree attempted murder conviction can bring a sentence of up to life in prison, and a first-degree assault conviction can carry as much as 25 years behind bars, according to state code. Maryland case law also holds that, in some circumstances, a conspiracy conviction can expose a defendant to the maximum penalty allowed for the underlying offense. For the statutory language, see Justia for the attempted-murder statute and Justia for the assault statute, along with the Maryland Court of Appeals decision in Johnson v. State, available on FindLaw.
Court calendar and plea offer
Prosecutors say they tried to resolve the case with a package plea: 50 years, with all but 20 years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation. The defense said no. Defense attorney Jason Ott rejected the offer, according to Baltimore Witness. The case is now locked in for a June 29 start before Judge Hope Tipton and is expected to take roughly three days of court time, assuming it proceeds to jury selection without any last-minute deal.
What is next
With the plea offer off the table, prosecutors are preparing to roll out surveillance footage and witness testimony for jurors, while the defense is expected to go after identification and intent. If the jury convicts Booker on the most serious counts, the statutory maximums mean he could be looking at decades in prison. The exact outcome will depend on which charges result in guilty verdicts and how the court handles sentencing. The case docket is expected to fill up with pretrial motions and filings as the June trial date approaches.
