In the late afternoon of July 5, 2021, the life of 37-year-old Keith Hughes Jr., a Black male, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire on a street in East Baltimore. The shooting, which occurred around 4 p.m. in the 1800 block of East Lafayette Avenue, also left another man wounded. When police arrived at the scene, they found Hughes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The second victim was able to get to a hospital on his own and was immediately taken into surgery.
The investigation into the deadly shooting was taken over by homicide detectives, who worked for months to identify a suspect in the case. Their efforts eventually led them to a 33-year-old man named Ernest Smith. Investigators identified Smith as the alleged shooter, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Following the death of her nephew, Hughes' aunt, Bessie Bright, publicly criticized city officials, expressing her frustration over the persistent gun violence in Baltimore.
On March 22, 2022, nearly nine months after the shooting, Ernest Smith was taken into custody by members of the Warrant Task Force in the 3100 block of East Monument Street. He was arrested without incident and charged with first-degree murder for the death of Keith Hughes Jr. Following his arrest, Smith was transported to the Homicide Section for questioning before being taken to Central Booking. He is currently being held as he awaits court proceedings for the charges brought against him.
