Barry Ransom, a 21-year-old male student at Morgan State University, was fatally shot on the evening of October 25, 2021, in Towson, Maryland. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. in the parking lot of The Shops at Kenilworth. Ransom, a junior studying accounting, had driven to the location with two friends with the intention of selling marijuana to a man they had arranged to meet.
Upon arrival, the buyer, later identified as 22-year-old Kevin Sharp of Towson, entered their vehicle.
Shortly after, Sharp produced a handgun in an attempt to rob Ransom and his companions. A struggle ensued inside the car, during which Ransom was shot in the arm. As he attempted to flee the vehicle, Sharp shot him again, this time in the back. The suspect then took a backpack and a wallet from the car before fleeing the scene on foot.
When police arrived, they found an unoccupied car with its engine running and soon located Ransom in a nearby wooded area, calling for help. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Before he died, Ransom was able to provide a vague description of his attacker to the responding officers.
Investigators used surveillance footage from the shopping center and phone records to identify Kevin Sharp as the primary suspect. They discovered that Sharp lived in an apartment near the crime scene and had walked to the meeting. A search of Sharp's apartment uncovered items belonging to Ransom and his friends. Sharp was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Initially, he denied any involvement in the incident.
In October 2022, Kevin Sharp pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Barry Ransom. The Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office stated that they hoped the thorough investigation and prosecution would send a clear message that such violent acts would be met with justice. Friends and fellow students at Morgan State University remembered Ransom, a Philadelphia native, as a studious and caring individual who made a significant impact on those who knew him. His family described him as a loving young man who had accomplished much in his 21 years of life.
