Man sentenced to 10 years for 2023 Baltimore mass shooting that killed 2, injured 28
A 20-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Tuesday for his role in a deadly Baltimore mass shooting that left two people dead and 28 injured.
Tristan Jackson pleaded guilty in March to participating in the 2023 mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood.
Jackson pleaded guilty to a second-degree assault charge, use of a firearm in a violent crime, minor in possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault.
Jackson will be eligible for parole after five years, according to Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Lynn Stewart Mays. Upon his release, Jackson will also have five years of supervised probation.
Jackson was the last person to speak before Mays announced her sentence. In his statement, he talked about his desire to continue his education and become a social worker.
He also said he wouldn't take a second chance for granted.
"I've bettered myself," Jackson said in court. "I want to be somebody...I don't want to be a statistic."
As the sentence was read, members of Jackson's family began to cry in the courtroom. None of them addressed media outside the courthouse.
Assistant public defender Matthew Connell told reporters he'll be filing a motion to reconsider, but wouldn't comment on the sentence itself.
Brooklyn Day mass shooting kills two, injures 28
The shooting, which occurred on July 2, 2023, during the annual Brooklyn Day Block Party, left 28 people injured and two people dead, Baltimore Police said.
Five people were charged in connection with the shooting, though none were directly charged with the deaths of 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi and 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez.
A judge decided to hold three separate trials for the five people charged, including Jackson, Aaron Brown, 18, and three minors.
The three minors - Mikhi Jackson, who was 17 at the time, a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old - pleaded guilty in May 2024.
The 15- and 16-year-olds were sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by five years of probation.
Mikhi Jackson was sentenced to one year in prison, two years of probation and mandatory participation in a program that works with young people who have been impacted by gun violence.
Brown later pleaded guilty to attempted murder and use of a firearm. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of probation.
In total, the group of five faced 142 criminal charges combined.
Baltimore Police continues to investigate the shooting, a spokeswoman for the agency said, partly in a statement, "We know that our work is not done."
"We remain deeply committed to seeking justice for the victims, their families, and our community," the statement reads.
Baltimore City State's Attorney Ivan Bates also committed to continuing the investigation following Jackson's sentencing Tuesday.
"I hope this not only brings some measure of closure to those impacted, but also signals that we will continue to investigate," Bates's statement said. "Work to hold everyone responsible for the violence."
Report details failures in Baltimore Police response
Following the deadly mass shooting, the Baltimore Police Department's Public Integrity Bureau released an after-action report that detailed several failures in the police response.
According to the report, three days before the unapproved Brooklyn Day block party, police found a flyer with details about the event, however, they did not act on the notice.
Despite seeing the party being set-up, police did not provide extra patrols, even as the crowd grew to about 900 people, the report said. Two camera operators failed to notify supervisors about the party as it grew out of control.
According to the report, a third camera operator notified a supervisor about the party two hours before the mass shooting.
A total of 15 employees were investigated for misconduct, including a police captain, two lieutenants, four sergeants, three officers and five staff members.
The report revealed that police took action to discipline 12 employees and recommended firing two.
