Judge Sentences Defendant to Two Life Terms Plus 190 Years

Baltimore, Md. (October 17, 2024) - Yesterday, the State's Attorney's Office secured two Life sentences plus 190 years, with the first 25 years ineligible for parole, for defendant Jared Ford who conducted a crime spree between February 26, 2023, and March 4, 2023, resulting in the death of Mason Kelly and the non-fatal shootings of three other individuals. Ford was convicted by a jury in July for First Degree Murder, two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, First Degree Assault, two counts of Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder, and numerous firearm offenses. Assistant State's Attorney Kurt Bjorklund prosecuted this case. 

“This defendant created utter chaos and extreme violence for days across our city with seemingly no regard for the law or the consequences," said State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "This lengthy sentence refutes that mindset and makes it abundantly clear that there are severe and life-altering penalties for killing, assaulting, and inflicting immense trauma. It is my hope that the victims in this case feel safer knowing Jared Ford will never be free to conduct himself among law-abiding residents ever again. I want to thank my Homicide Unit and the Baltimore Police, especially the Regional Auto Theft Task Force, for their skillful work on this case."

On February 26, 2023, at approximately 5:52 p.m., a Baltimore Police officer was seated in an unmarked vehicle in a crime suppression capacity in the vicinity of the 5500 block of Bowleys Lane in the Sinclair Gates apartment complex. The officer heard numerous gunshots nearby and observed multiple people running in the vicinity, and responded immediately, requesting additional officers in the process. Police found shell casings near the parking lot of the apartment complex and located 21-year-old Mason Kelly, who was lying face up and unresponsive in the second-floor vestibule of 5507 Bowleys Lane. Two additional non-fatal victims were located on the top floor vestibule and were transported by medics to Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital. Mason Kelly was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:12 p.m.

Multiple surveillance cameras were found during the course of the investigation. The video evidence showed two suspect vehicles traveling eastbound on Sinclair Lane. The cars pulled over to the side of the road and then put their hazard lights on. Four suspects dressed in all black can then be seen running through a field that separates the apartment complex from Sinclair Lane before then running towards the parking lot. The four suspects are then seen firing shots towards the victims before running back through the field to the parked vehicles. Investigators were able to positively identify the vehicles through the footage.

The first suspected vehicle was identified as a 2015 Hyundai Sonata that was reported stolen on February 17, 2023, from the 3500 block of Edgewood Road. The vehicle was later recovered on February 27, 2023, at approximately 2:00 a.m. in the 2000 block of Sinclair Lane. The second suspected vehicle was identified as a 2007 Toyota Highlander that was reported stolen on February 26, 2023, at approximately 7:30 a.m. from the 3200 block of Westwood Avenue. On March 2, 2023, detectives from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force located the 2007 Toyota Highlander. The vehicle was found unoccupied in the rear of the 1000 block of N. Luzerne Avenue. Detectives placed a GPS tracking device on the vehicle so that it could be monitored and the occupants could be detained to further the investigation.   

On March 2, 2023, at 10:19 p.m., the GPS tracking device alerted that the Highlander was in motion. Detectives from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force immediately responded to the location and found the vehicle unoccupied approximately a block away in the 1100 block of N. Kenwood Avenue. Investigators observed that the GPS tracking device showed the vehicle had traveled from the rear alley of 1000 N Luzerne Avenue to the intersection of N. Rose Street and E. Hoffman Street at the exact time there was a non-fatal shooting at that location. The male victim was shot in the leg and transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital. CCTV cameras showed the Toyota Highlander was used in this non-fatal shooting incident. Investigators placed undercover surveillance teams from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force in the area of the parked Highlander.

On March 4, 2023, at approximately 11:49 p.m., the GPS tracking device indicated that the vehicle was mobile once again. Detectives from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force, along with Eastern District Patrol Officers and the Baltimore City Police Helicopter Unit (Foxtrot), followed the Highlander where it had parked under a railroad bridge, located in the 1000 block of N. Kenwood Avenue. Foxtrot then observed a silver Nissan sedan flee from under the bridge at a high rate of speed. Responding officers found the Highlander parked unoccupied as Foxtrot continued to follow the silver Nissan to the 500 block of N. Montford Avenue, at which time three occupants were observed bailing out of the vehicle. Foxtrot followed the front seat passenger through several courts and yards. Foxtrot then observed the front seat passenger place an item along a fence line and continue to run away. The item placed by the passenger was found to emit a distinct heat signature indicative of a firearm. Officers ultimately detained both the front-seat passenger and the individual who fled from the rear-passenger seat. The driver of the Nissan fled in the opposite direction of the two detained individuals and escaped apprehension. Both captured suspects were detained inside a vacant dwelling located at 516 N. Port Street.

Officers recovered a Glock 22 Polymer .40 caliber handgun at that exact location indicated by Foxtrot. The handgun was loaded with one round in the chamber and nine rounds in the magazine. The second suspect was observed on Foxtrot’s video placing an object alongside the south wall of 521 N. Bradford Street. Investigators responded to the location and immediately observed and secured a 9mm Century Arms Canik TP9 SF Elite handgun. That handgun was chambered with one 9mm round and 14 rounds in the magazine.

The front seat passenger, who had been observed placing the recovered .40 caliber handgun, was identified as 21-year-old Jared Ford. Ford was transported to the Homicide Section and waived his right to counsel. The defendant admitted to being the front seat passenger in the Nissan Sentra and to having been the passenger of the Toyota Highlander. Ford ultimately requested an attorney when confronted with both the murder and non-fatal shooting investigations. 

The Baltimore City Firearms Laboratory confirmed that the .40 caliber casings recovered at both the homicide of Mason Kelly on the 26th of February and the non-fatal shooting on the 2nd of March were fired from the same .40 caliber handgun. On March 9, 2023, detectives received confirmation from the Baltimore City Firearms Laboratory that the .40 caliber handgun Jared Ford placed along the fence line was forensically consistent with both the murder of Mason Kelly and the non-fatal shooting.

Jared Ford was previously convicted of Possession with the Intent to Distribute CDS on October 7, 2021, in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. He was also convicted of a Handgun on a Person on August 30, 2021, in Baltimore City Circuit Court.