On the evening of August 22, 2020, a burst of gunfire shattered the night on the 900 block of Tunbridge Road in Baltimore. When the chaos subsided, 19-year-old Andrew Frazier, a Black male, had been struck in the head. Despite his grievous injury, Frazier managed to run to the 5400 block of Lothian Road before collapsing. Responding officers found him there and rushed him to a local hospital, but his wounds proved fatal, and he died later that night.
The incident was another tragic chapter in the city's struggle with gun violence.
For over a year, Frazier's death remained an open case for Baltimore homicide detectives. In collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, investigators painstakingly pieced together the events of that fateful night. Their efforts eventually pointed to a suspect: 19-year-old Datwain Jackson of Baltimore. In October 2021, authorities arrested Jackson in connection with Frazier's death, bringing a glimmer of resolution to a case that had long been under investigation.
The subsequent legal proceedings revealed a heartbreaking twist in the story. Andrew Frazier was not the intended target of the shooting. In fact, he was a close friend of the man who shot him, Datwain Jackson. Prosecutors detailed a narrative of 'friendly fire,' explaining that Jackson and others had been planning to confront another individual. In the tragic unfolding of events, Frazier was unintentionally killed by his own friend. In May 2024, Datwain Jackson, then 23, accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and firearm use in a felony violent crime. As a result, he was sentenced to life in prison with all but 20 years suspended.
