Defendant Pleas Guilty to Double Shooting and Carjacking Committed as a Juvenile

Baltimore, Md. (October 10, 2024) - Today, State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates announced that defendant Paul Ray pled guilty to First Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime of Violence, First Degree Assault, and Carjacking. Ray fatally shot Bryson Hudson and non-fatally shot another man at the A Plus Grocery and Deli in August 2023 at the 900 block of N. Broadway Street after conducting a carjacking earlier that same day. The defendant is scheduled for sentencing on January 29, 2025. Mayor Brandon M. Scott was serving as an alternate on the jury before the defendant decided to plead guilty. Assistant State's Attorney Justin Greer prosecuted this case. 

“When considering the pressing need to address juvenile crime in our city, cases like this one weigh heavily on my mind. At just 17 years old, this individual chose to steal a man’s car at gunpoint and then proceeded to drive it to a public business to shoot people, tragically resulting in the death of Mr. Hudson,” said State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates. “These reprehensible actions demand swift and significant punishment. I am grateful to Mayor Scott and the other jurors for dedicating their time to fulfilling their civic duty. The defendant’s decision to plead, rather than go to trial, is a testament to the compelling case ASA Greer had meticulously prepared and was ready to present against him.”

On August 14, 2023, at approximately 5:58 p.m., Baltimore Police officers responded to the 900 block of N. Broadway Street for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, officers located two shooting victims inside of A Plus Grocery and Deli. Both victims were transported to Johns Hopkins. Despite medical intervention, one of the victims, identified as Bryson Hudson, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 6:27 p.m.

At the scene, the following items were recovered: approximately 12 9mm shell casings, three 7.62 x 39 caliber cartridge casings, seven 964 x 75 caliber cartridge casings, and one unknown caliber cartridge casing. Video footage of the immediate area showed a white Nissan Maxima traveling southbound through the 900 block of N. Broadway. The vehicle then slowed down in front of the A Plus Grocery and Deli, at which point several occupants* within the Maxima began firing rounds towards the front of the store where Mr. Hudson and Mr. Byrd were located. The white Nissan Maxima was reported stolen in a carjacking at approximately 2:30 p.m. earlier that day around the 5500 block of Bowley’s Lane. Further investigation determined that Paul Ray’s DNA was on the steering wheel of the Nissan Maxima.

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that defendant Paul Ray requested that a handgun be given to an associate following the shooting. Detectives monitored Mr. Ray's jail calls and heard the defendant instruct a caller to reach out to an associate to go to their house and get an item. Ray asked the caller to store the item for him and stated that the police didn’t catch him with it. On September 14, 2023, detectives executed a search and seizure warrant at the caller's residence and located a 9mm Glock handgun, which the crime lab determined shared sufficient characteristics with the shell casings recovered at the scene based on a microscopic comparison. Additionally, the defendant's DNA was found on the firearm.