A jury found Deonte Price guilty of First-Degree Murder, Attempted Second-Degree Murder, and related charges
Baltimore, Md. (May 5, 2025) - Today, Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced that a Baltimore City Jury found defendant Deonte Price guilty of the fatal shooting of Dabrae Edwards and the non-fatal shooting of another male in the 200 block of East Street. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of Life plus 80 years at sentencing on July 11, 2025. Assistant State's Attorney Kurt Bjorklund prosecuted this case.
“This case illustrates the destructive impact of ghost guns equipped with extended magazines in our community. This defendant not only took the life of a young man, but forever altered the life of another, causing lasting trauma without any consideration for the consequences,” said State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “I commend the Baltimore Police Department and ASA Bjorklund for their diligent work and unwavering dedication to this case, amassing a mountain of forensic evidence to ensure that justice prevails and the defendant faces a lifetime of incarceration.”
On May 19, 2023, at approximately 8:44 p.m., Baltimore Police received a report of a shooting that occurred in the 200 block of East Street involving two victims. One of the victims, identified as 19-year-old Dabrae Edwards, was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and was found unresponsive. The second victim was also 19 years of age at the time of the shooting and was suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg.
Upon arrival, detectives noted that the vehicle the victim was driving at the time of the shooting had crashed into the side of a rowhome in the 200 block of East Street. At the scene, Crime Lab technicians recovered a .40 caliber Ghost Gun with an extended magazine, ballistic evidence including both .40 caliber and 9mm spent casings, suspected blood, and clothing. The victims were transported to local hospitals. Edwards subsequently succumbed to his injuries on May 21, 2023.
During the investigation, CCTV video was reviewed and recovered from the Pleasant View Gardens Apartment Complex, which showed Edwards parking his vehicle in the 200 block of East Street. The non-fatal victim exited the front passenger seat and struck up a conversation with a group of males on the corner. He then stepped out of the camera's frame for a brief moment with one of the males. When he re-entered the frame, an unknown male, who was later identified as defendant Deonte Price, was to his left. Price appeared to be restricting the non-fatal victim's movement by controlling his right arm. Edwards then opened the passenger side door of his vehicle while still seated in the driver’s seat, and could see his companion walking back to the car. Price then bent down, looked into the vehicle, and displayed his handgun with his right hand before discharging the weapon at Edwards.
A second suspect, who remains unidentified and at large, also began shooting at the vehicle. Edwards attempted to flee but lost control of the car, which then jumped the curb and hit a rowhouse. Both shooters fled the scene on foot.
At the time of the shooting, marked patrol units were nearby conducting a car stop. The officers immediately ran towards the sounds of the shots and located an individual running towards them. The officers gave chase, and the individual responded by doubling back and running through the apartment complex. The officers followed him, but lost sight of the individual who was ultimately able to get away. This individual was the unidentified second shooter. Price was observed sitting on some steps in the 200 block of St. Matthews Street and was detained. Detectives performed an area canvass of the scene, and they recovered the .40 caliber polymer Ghost Gun with an extended magazine and green laser that the defendant discarded during his flight from the shooting. A later review of the CCTV footage revealed that the Defendant was one of the two shooters and that after the shooting, he immediately fled down St. Matthews Street, disappeared for a few seconds in the area where the firearm was located, and then reappeared on camera when he sat down on the steps.