In the winter of 2022, a dispute in West Baltimore turned deadly, claiming the life of 54-year-old Ahnmad Artis, a Black male. On the morning of February 11th, shortly before 10 a.m., the sound of gunfire prompted a ShotSpotter alert in the 1800 block of Ashburton Street. When police officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Artis suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was immediately transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he did not survive.
The investigation into the shooting led Baltimore Police detectives to identify a suspect in the case. The preliminary findings suggested that the fatal shooting was the result of a dispute between Artis and another individual. Less than a month after the incident, on March 9, 2022, authorities announced the arrest of 51-year-old Garrett Smith. Smith, who was described by police as a repeat violent offender, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Ahnmad Artis. Following his arrest, Smith was held in custody as he awaited court proceedings for the murder charge.
