On a tragic afternoon in Baltimore, the life of Bernard Nathaniel Tillman was cut short. The 34-year-old Black male was fatally shot on June 1, 2022, outside a gas station located in the 2800 block of Edmondson Avenue. Tillman, a plumbing apprentice who worked alongside his father in the family business, was a devoted father who loved his children and enjoyed fishing with his dad.
He was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which occurred at approximately 1:20 p.m.
The senseless act of violence left his family heartbroken. During the subsequent court proceedings, Tillman's stepmother expressed her profound grief and anger, stating she would never be able to make new memories with her stepson. His father, with whom he shared a close working relationship, tearfully spoke of how his son was stolen from their family. Tillman's fiancée was left to care for their young daughter and his teenage son alone.
Authorities investigating the homicide quickly identified a suspect. Surveillance footage from the gas station captured the moments leading up to the shooting. The video showed Shamar Carter, then a teenager, approaching Tillman in the parking lot. Carter began shooting at Tillman, who drew a handgun but did not fire. After Tillman fell to the ground, Carter continued to shoot. Responding officers who were on patrol nearby heard the gunshots and promptly chased and apprehended Carter, recovering a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine from his possession.
Shamar Carter was charged with the murder of Bernard Tillman. In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and a firearm use charge. On August 17, 2023, Carter, then 17 years old, was sentenced for his crime. A Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge sentenced him to a life term, suspending all but 40 years. He also received a concurrent 15-year sentence for the firearm offense, with the first five years to be served without the possibility of parole. Upon his eventual release, Carter will be on five years of supervised probation and will be required to register as a gun offender. The judge also recommended Carter for the Patuxent Youthful Offender Program, a therapy-based rehabilitation program.
