In the spring of 2019, James Lomax, a 44-year-old man, was striving for a fresh start in Baltimore, Maryland. Having been released from the Jessup Correctional Institution in January of that year after serving a lengthy 21-year sentence for drug-related offenses, he was determined to rebuild his life. His primary motivation was to reconnect with his two daughters, who were just children when he was incarcerated.
To achieve this, Lomax had enrolled in a program to become an electrician and was also attending driving school to obtain his license, tangible steps toward a new and productive chapter.
On the evening of May 4, 2019, Lomax was visiting with friends in the 700 block of E. 20th Street, a neighborhood situated just north of Green Mount Cemetery. Shortly before 11 p.m., the promise of his new life was violently extinguished when he was shot multiple times, sustaining wounds to his face and body. His mother received the devastating call and arrived at the scene to find her son fatally wounded. Despite his aspirations for a different future, his life was cut short in a brutal act of violence.
The Baltimore Police Department's investigation into the murder of James Lomax has yet to yield any publicly identified suspects or lead to any arrests. While authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting, a handgun and a small quantity of narcotics were reportedly found on his person at the time of his death. His family, however, has emphasized his commitment to creating a better life for himself. His cousin, Coketa Diggins, remembered him as a peaceful individual who sought to de-escalate conflict. The case remains open, leaving his loved ones waiting for answers and justice for his untimely death.
