On a Tuesday afternoon, July 13, 2021, a 24-year-old Black / African American man named Nicholas Lee entered a Giant grocery store on Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, Maryland, alongside a female companion who was pushing a baby stroller. Lee was not wearing a shirt at the time, a detail that would soon become a point of contention. A security guard, Titus Ninneh, who was positioned at the front of the store, approached Lee and requested that he put on a shirt.
Lee did not comply and proceeded toward the meat section of the grocery store.
The situation escalated when Ninneh followed Lee and his companion to the meat section and again insisted that Lee either put on a shirt or leave the premises. The female companion intervened, and the conversation grew heated. She then struck the security guard in the face with a package of meat she was holding. Immediately following this, Lee began to physically assault Ninneh, pushing him into a display case. The altercation continued with both Lee and the woman punching the security guard.
During the struggle, Lee put Ninneh in a chokehold and wrestled him to the ground. As the physical confrontation unfolded on the floor, with the woman on top of Ninneh, Lee attempted to take the security guard's firearm. It was at this point that Ninneh discharged his weapon. As he stood up, he fired again, striking Lee. The woman was also shot in her hand during the incident. Police were called to the scene at approximately 4:40 p.m. and found Nicholas Lee inside the store suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. He was transported to a local hospital but did not survive his injuries.
Following an investigation into the fatal shooting, the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office announced on February 3, 2023, that it would not bring charges against the security guard, Titus Ninneh. The decision was based on a review of the evidence, which included the altercation that preceded the shooting. Therefore, no arrests were made, and no suspect was charged in the death of Nicholas Lee.
