In the busy streets of downtown Baltimore, near the well-known Lexington Market, a brazen daylight shooting cut short the life of 23-year-old Tayvon Rashard Cokley on December 5, 2016. Earlier that day, Cokley had been at a hospital visiting a family member who was also a victim of violence. Around 1 p.m., in the 100 block of N. Eutaw Street, he was shot. Police in the vicinity heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to find Cokley, immediately administering CPR.
He was then quickly transported to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The Baltimore Police Department launched an immediate investigation into what they described as a 'brazen murder in broad daylight.' Their efforts were significantly aided by surveillance footage from the area, which captured the suspects fleeing the scene. This crucial evidence, along with tips from the public, led police to identify two suspects: Derrick Charles Jackson Jr. and Vincent Jamar Barefoot, both 24 years old at the time. Jackson was already known to law enforcement and had been previously labeled as 'Public Enemy No. 1' due to his alleged connection to other violent crimes.
On December 16, 2016, both Jackson and Barefoot were apprehended in the 3500 block of Woodland Avenue. They were subsequently charged with first-degree murder and other related offenses for their alleged roles in Cokley's death. While a clear motive for the shooting was not immediately determined by investigators, there was some speculation that it may have been robbery-related. During legal proceedings, Jackson's defense attorney claimed he had been misidentified and was at a doctor's appointment with his pregnant wife at the time of the shooting. Despite this, the charges against both men proceeded. Previously, Jackson had faced murder charges in a separate case, but those had been dropped due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
