Jury selection got underway yesterday in a Baltimore homicide case after the defendant turned down a plea deal tied to a deadly shooting at North Arlington Avenue and Riggs Avenue in West Baltimore. Prosecutors said the offer on the table would have meant a life sentence with 60 years suspended and five years of supervised probation for 29-year-old Timothy Shearn, but he refused. The victim, a 26-year-old man, was shot on Sept. 9 and died later at a trauma center. The case is now back in Baltimore City Circuit Court for a full jury trial this week.
The terms of the proposed plea were read into the record at a July 13 hearing, after which defense counsel rejected the deal, and the case moved into jury selection before Judge Hope Tipton, according to Baltimore Witness.
Shooting and arrest
Police were first called to the scene after a ShotSpotter alert on Sept. 9, 2025, and officers found a man with multiple gunshot wounds on the 1000 block of North Arlington Avenue, CBS Baltimore reported. The man was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. About a month later, on Oct. 12, 2025, investigators arrested a suspect and charged him with homicide, according to Daily Voice.
Prosecutors' account and evidence
Court filings summarized during the July hearing describe an earlier argument between the defendant and a former partner before the shooting. Prosecutors allege Shearn displayed a firearm during that dispute, prompting the partner to run, flag down police and then return to the corner where the victim was standing and talking with others. At the scene, investigators collected six 9mm shell casings, a fragmented bullet, an iPhone, a five-dollar bill, a red baseball cap and a Lime electric bike. A witness later identified Shearn as the person who allegedly pulled the gun, according to Baltimore Witness.
Legal stakes
Shearn is charged with murder, assault and several firearm offenses. Under Maryland law, a first-degree murder conviction can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with the specific terms set by the court after any conviction, according to FindLaw.
Police are still asking anyone with information about the killing to contact Baltimore homicide detectives at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP, CBS Baltimore reported. The trial is expected to run through the week, with reporters keeping an eye on the proceedings as they unfold.
