Police Used Cameras, License Plate Readers To Connect Two Men To Shooting Of Baltimore Officer Keona Holley And Homicide

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Police used cameras and license plate readers to connect two men, 31-year-old Elliot Knox and 32-year-old Travon Shaw, to the shooting of Baltimore Officer Keona Holley and a homicide.

"What we have is a number of cameras—personal home cameras—along with license plate readers—putting the puzzle together with both of them lead us to a vehicle. When we found the vehicle, we found the person of interest," Commissioner Michael Harrison said.

But police have yet to determine the motive.

"We don't know why they did this. We have absolute confessions they did this. They were there," Harrison said.

Officer Holley was ambushed while inside her patrol car in the 4400-block of Pennington Avenue. The shooting happened at 1:35 a.m. Thursday while Holley was working a volunteer overtime shift.

Police said the suspects then drove 11 miles away to the 600-block of Lucia Avenue, where they are linked to the deadly shooting of 27-year-old Justin Johnson.

"For every victim who has been impacted by these heinous acts of violence, we will get justice on their behalf," said Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

Police said they recovered the two weapons used in these shootings inside a home in Baltimore County. Neither was registered to the suspects.

Both suspects have lengthy criminal histories: Knox for armed robberies in Baltimore County when he was 16 years old.  Shaw was out of jail awaiting a trial next year on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Both were taken to Central Booking Friday.

"You cannot think our police officers should be a target for you. No one should be a target," Mayor Brandon Scott said.

Baltimore City has been dealing with a rash of violence, including multiple shootings on Friday.

"There are people in our city who don't care about police. They don't care about going to jail. They don't care about losing their life. They would say that they would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6," the mayor said.

Officer Holley remained in Shock Trauma Friday night on life support and in critical but stable condition, Harrison said.

"Understand my sister, she is the yin to my yang—all I've ever known. She's the other part of me. And I refuse to give that up. For anybody. Especially a city that does not appreciate her," Holley's sister said during a news conference outside the hospital Thursday.

When Officer Holley was a trainee with the department in 2020, she spoke to Business Insider for a story about reforms in the Baltimore police force. "I feel like officers have a bad name and we have to change that," she said at the time.

"Our crime level is so high. The community needs Baltimore City police officers who are not here for a paycheck. They're here because they care," Holley said about why she joined the BPD.

Her sister said being an officer in Baltimore was a life-long dream for Holley. "My sister dedicated herself to this job. She went in early. She stayed late. She spent countless hours away from her children to serve her community in the Southern District."

In:
• Baltimore Police Department
• Baltimore City