Teen charged as adult for fatal shooting of security guard at Baltimore McDonald's
BALTIMORE -- A 15-year-old boy is being charged as an adult in connection with the fatal shooting of a security guard at a McDonald's in North Baltimore, police said Tuesday.
Baltimore Police responded to the reported shooting on Jan. 12 in the 4400 block of Reisterstown Road where they found the security guard - later identified as 38-year-old Jamal Davis - suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Officers said the shooting occurred during an altercation near the entrance of the restaurant.
On Tuesday, officers arrested the 15-year-old at a home in the 1500 block of North Smallwood Street and charged him as an adult with first-degree murder.
Tributes for Davis
Davis was a father and was described by his employer as a man of integrity.
"Security Officer Jamal Davis was truly exceptional — an incredible father who loved his children deeply and a hardworking, dependable individual," the Cameo Consultant Company CEO said in a statement. "He was a man of integrity, doing his best to provide for his family and make a difference in this challenging city."
After the shooting, the owner of the Reisterstown McDonald's Danitra Bell, said she was "...in shock and completely devastated by the tragic and senseless act of violence…"
2025 Baltimore City homicides
The fatal shooting was recorded as the city's second homicide of 2025, according to Baltimore Police.
The first took place on Jan. 9 when a 36-year-old man was shot and killed in Northeast Baltimore.
As of Tuesday, Jan. 28, Baltimore Police have reported 13 homicides so far this year, the same amount reported on this day in 2024. There have been 18 non-fatal shootings so far this year.
In 2024, the city saw a total of 201 homicides, the lowest total since 2011, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Juvenile crime
Crime rates dropped in Baltimore City in 2024, but toward the end of the year in November, juvenile carjackings were up 233% and juvenile robberies were up 44%, Mayor Brandon Scott said.
"As far as reducing some stubbornly high categories of juvenile crime, Scott said, "We have to enforce the laws. When we consistently see the same people, whether they're old or young over and over again, that's a huge frustration point for us, especially when they are young people because we know that we probably can get to them and change their lives."
Maryland leaders have committed to addressing juvenile crime during the 2025 legislative session. Gov. Wes Moore's proposed 2026 budget includes funds for juvenile services, rehabilitation and intervention.
In 2024, the Juvenile Reform Act went into effect, making it so minors between the ages of 10 and 12 could be charged with gun possession and auto theft among some other offenses.
The law also allowed the state's attorney's office to review cases for juveniles under the supervision of the Department of Juvenile Services.
