In the afternoon hours of Labor Day, September 4, 2017, the life of 22-year-old Tyrone Ray Jr. was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire in northeast Baltimore. Ray, a Black male, was outside a 7-Eleven in the 4200 block of Nicholas Avenue when he was ambushed. At the time of the attack, he was on crutches, making him particularly vulnerable. The grandson of Maryland House Majority Whip Talmadge Branch, Ray was shot two dozen times in what investigators believed to be a targeted killing.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the murder of Tyrone Ray Jr. led Baltimore police to two suspects, Raekwon Thornton and Lamont Kyler. Surveillance footage from the convenience store and nearby businesses captured the two men circling the block in a white vehicle before approaching Ray. The video showed a brief conversation between the men before Thornton and Kyler opened fire and then fled the scene. Witnesses who saw the released video footage came forward and positively identified the two men, leading to their arrests.
In December 2018, both Raekwon Thornton, then 20, and Lamont Kyler, then 22, were convicted by a jury of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and handgun offenses. The prosecution highlighted the senseless and brazen nature of the crime, emphasizing that Ray was defenseless at the time of the shooting. In March 2019, a judge sentenced both Thornton and Kyler to two life sentences plus 25 years in prison, ensuring they would spend the remainder of their lives behind bars. Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby credited the cooperation of community members who came forward as witnesses for securing the convictions and bringing a measure of justice to Tyrone Ray Jr.'s family.
