Baltimore murder suspect arrested during attempted shoplifting, police say

A 45-year-old man has been charged in connection with a Park Heights murder that occurred on Saturday.

Lamont Bates was arrested on Tuesday at 1:40 a.m. while allegedly attempting to shoplift at a business located on the 4600 block of Liberty Heights Avenue.

Bates was charged with 1st and 2nd degree murder, along with various handgun violations, in the unrelated fatal shooting of 24-year-old Xavier Williams.

The shooting occurred on the 5400 block of Park Heights Avenue on Saturday.

At 12:21 p.m., on Saturday, Northwest District Officers were called to the 5400 block of Park Heights Avenue for reports of a shooting.

When police arrived, they found Williams inside a business suffering from a gunshot wound. He was later pronounced dead.

Baltimore crime numbers

Baltimore City is continuing to see a multiyear decline in violent crime, with a 23% drop in homicides through the first five months of 2026, according to Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott.

During a community walk in early June, Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott said the city's crime reduction strategies combine traditional policing with violence intervention efforts aimed at addressing the root causes of crime.

The walk took place after a 15-year-old male turned himself in for the murder of a teenage girl in February, raising concerns about juvenile crime.

"We still have a long way to go," Scott said. "We lost people this weekend, and that's too many people for us."

So far this year, the city has recorded 46 homicides and 148 non-fatal shootings. During this time last year, there were 62 homicides and 149 non-fatal shootings.