In the early morning hours of a summer day in Baltimore, the life of 19-year-old Deontay W. Edwards was tragically cut short. On July 30, 2022, Edwards and several other people were standing near the corner of Rutland Avenue and East Lafayette Avenue when they were targeted in a drive-by shooting. The shots came from a vehicle that had been carjacked at gunpoint a week prior.
After the initial barrage of gunfire, Edwards and three others attempted to flee in a car.
Their escape was short-lived as the assailants pursued them, continuing to fire at their vehicle. The chase ended when the car carrying Edwards crashed into a parked vehicle near the intersection of Oliver Street. As he tried to flee on foot, Edwards was shot in the back and killed. Another individual in the car was shot three times but survived the attack. Investigators later recovered twenty-four shell casings from the three-block crime scene.
An investigation led by the Baltimore City Police Department's Robbery Homicide Section and the Attorney General's Organized Crime Unit identified Tyshaun Williams as a suspect. Williams was arrested on August 2, 2022, while driving the vehicle used in the shooting. At the time of his arrest, a handgun with a loaded 30-round magazine was recovered. In March 2023, a grand jury indicted Williams for the murder of Deontay Edwards and the attempted murders of three other individuals. He was also charged in connection with a carjacking conspiracy.
In September 2024, Tyshaun Williams, then 20 years old, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree assault, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, armed robbery, and two counts of armed carjacking. His sentencing was scheduled for November of that year. The investigation revealed that Williams and at least one other unidentified co-conspirator were involved in the series of crimes leading to Edwards' death.
