On a Tuesday evening in June, the sounds of gunfire shattered the calm of a Northeast Baltimore neighborhood, leaving a tragic scene in its wake. When the chaos subsided, 22-year-old Darren De'Andre Barnes, a male resident of Baltimore, was found dead, the victim of a quadruple shooting. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of Plainfield Avenue, where a group of men were gathered outside a home.
According to police, an unknown gunman approached the group and opened
fire, striking four individuals. Barnes was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim, 19-year-old Craig Phillips Jr., succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Two other men, ages 18 and 23, were also shot but survived.
Born in Baltimore on January 12, 2000, Darren Barnes was a graduate of Overlea High School. He had worked as a cook at Franklin Square Hospital and later joined his father's family-owned construction business. Known to his loved ones as 'Dmoney' or 'Lil D,' he was remembered for his love of basketball, a sport he played from a young age, and for his joyful presence at family gatherings.
In the days following the shooting, the Baltimore Police Department identified Barnes and Phillips as the two deceased victims. However, they did not release any information about a possible motive for the attack. As of the latest available reports, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been announced in connection with the quadruple shooting that claimed the lives of Darren Barnes and Craig Phillips Jr. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward.
