In the winter of 2020, a burst of gunfire shattered the afternoon quiet in a Baltimore neighborhood, leaving a family grieving and a community shaken. On January 11th, police were called to the 1400 block of Broening Highway around 2:34 p.m. for a report of a shooting. Arriving on the scene, they discovered 38-year-old Richard Pearson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The male victim was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the homicide led detectives to identify a suspect in the fatal shooting. Their attention focused on 22-year-old Ronald Haskins of Middle River. A search of Haskins' home uncovered a loaded firearm, and he was subsequently taken into custody. Haskins was formally charged with first-degree murder in connection with Richard Pearson's death. The incident was part of a particularly violent day in Baltimore, during which a total of 12 people were shot, five of them fatally.
