On the morning of May 30, 2019, Donnie Walton, a 54-year-old male, was fatally shot in the 400 block of E. 21st Street in Baltimore, Maryland, the very street where he resided. The incident unfolded at approximately 6:18 a.m. when Baltimore Police were alerted by a ShotSpotter notification. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Walton suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body.
He was immediately transported to a local hospital for medical attention.
Despite the efforts of medical personnel at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Walton succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The subsequent investigation into his death brought to light a chilling sequence of events. Security camera footage from the area showed another man, later identified as Anderson Covel Jr., a 31-year-old resident of Baltimore, parking his vehicle nearby and pacing around the vicinity before the shooting.
Further investigation revealed that Covel confronted Walton as he was walking along the sidewalk toward his home. During this encounter, Covel produced a firearm and shot Walton multiple times before fleeing the scene. The motive for this violent act has not been publicly detailed. The diligent work of Baltimore Police homicide detectives led to the identification and arrest of Covel.
Anderson Covel Jr. was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and being a disqualified person in possession of a regulated firearm. In February 2020, a jury found Covel guilty of these charges. Following his conviction, he faced a maximum potential sentence of life in prison plus an additional thirty-five years.
