In the early morning hours of June 14, 2021, a violent encounter in a Gwynn Oak, Maryland parking lot left one man dead and a woman seriously injured. Darrin Barnes, a 30-year-old male, was in the parking lot of BJ Mallards on Ingleside Avenue when gunfire erupted just after midnight. Responding officers from the Baltimore County Police found Barnes and a female companion suffering from gunshot wounds.
Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, but Barnes ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly, and within weeks, authorities announced the arrests of two suspects. Jamell Smith, 32, and Michael J. Curry, 40, were taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in connection with the incident. According to police, the shooting was not a random act of violence. Investigators believe that Smith and Curry had conspired to kill Barnes in retaliation for a dispute that had taken place several days prior to the fatal shooting. Following their arrests, both men were held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
