In the spring of 2017, a life was tragically cut short on a desolate block in East Baltimore. Ashley Long, a woman who had overcome childhood learning disabilities to earn a degree in early childhood development, was shot and killed on April 29th in the 700 block of Rose Street. Remembered by her older brother as someone who would give you anything you needed without hesitation, she was more like a daughter to him as he had largely raised her.
The events that led to her death began the
night before, after a late night out with friends. An argument and physical altercation occurred between Ashley and another woman in the group. Although they seemed to make peace, with Ashley even helping the woman with her asthma inhaler and some water, the conflict had devastating consequences. The following afternoon, the other woman's two sons came looking for Ashley. The eldest, who was 18 years old at the time, shot her five times in the back.
In the wake of the shooting, Baltimore City police quickly identified a suspect. In May 2017, officers arrested 19-year-old Qu'Sean Swilling. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with Ashley Long's death.
