A Baltimore man accused of shooting another man in the back outside an East Eager Street apartment complex told police afterward, “I did shoot. I did chase him. I was wrong,” as noted by Baltimore Witness. Now, as his attempted murder trial unfolds in court, testimony has surfaced that the victim himself faced an arrest warrant for allegedly assaulting the mother of his child, Shearin's neighbor, earlier that day.
The Night on Eager Street
Anthony Shearin, 27, is accused of shooting and injuring another man outside an apartment complex in the 1600 block of East Eager Street on April 19, according to testimony reported by Baltimore Witness. Baltimore Police say officers responded to a report of gunfire in that block at approximately 11:52 p.m. that night, but when they arrived, according to a statement from the Baltimore Police Department, they discovered a crime scene but no victims. Police later said officers found six shell casings at the scene, per the Baltimore Witness report.
The victim turned up in the 6800 block of Belair Road, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Police said that after being shot, he boarded a Maryland Transit Administration bus to Belair Road, and the bus driver called police once the man's condition became apparent and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police said they ultimately found him at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. He had reportedly been struck once in the back.
Shearin Describes Fear for His Family
According to testimony described by the Baltimore Witness, Shearin and his fiancée had waited in their apartment's master bedroom for his children to return home that night. Shearin's defense counsel described him as seeing a dark face against the master-bedroom window before he began shooting at the man outside. Prosecutors say Shearin fired six to eight shots at the victim, who they say was running away at the time he was struck.
Shearin's defense attorney, LaToya Francis-Williams, argued that her client was protecting himself and his family, and said the defendant was terrified in the moments before the shooting, per the same courtroom account. The defense also pointed to surveillance footage that allegedly showed the victim walking behind a female neighbor's apartment and then behind Shearin's own unit shortly before the gunfire. Shearin reportedly asked whether the victim was okay once police told him the man had been shot.
Warrant and Prior Allegations Emerge
Per defense counsel, the victim faced an outstanding arrest warrant for allegedly assaulting Shearin's neighbor, a woman with whom he reportedly shares a child. The defense's account states the victim allegedly assaulted the mother of his child earlier that same day, and that she left her apartment to stay with her mother afterward. The victim had also allegedly attempted to break into both Shearin's apartment and the neighbor's apartment, according to testimony relayed in court.
The prosecutor in the case described the victim as “sketchy” and “not a model citizen,” but also characterized the shooting itself as attempted murder and what the prosecutor called unacceptable gun ownership, according to the Baltimore Witness account. Court testimony noted that Shearin held a wear-and-carry permit for his Glock 45 at the time of the shooting.
Charges and What Comes Next
Shearin faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, discharging a firearm in Baltimore City, and using a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, per the Baltimore Witness report. Baltimore Police confirmed detectives arrested the 27-year-old Baltimore man two days after the shooting and that he was charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault.
Judge John A. Howard is presiding over the proceeding, and testimony was expected to continue the following day, with Shearin potentially expected to provide his own testimony, according to the same courtroom reporting. The Baltimore Witness report was written by Andrew Michaels under the outlet's attempted murder coverage section.
