In the summer of 2016, the Baltimore music scene was struck by a second tragedy in less than two weeks with the death of Trayvon Truz Lee. A 24-year-old Black male, Lee was fatally shot on the evening of July 6, 2016. The incident occurred on Anoka Avenue in the northwest part of the city, right outside his family's home. Responding officers found Lee with a gunshot wound to his upper body.
He was quickly transported to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to them shortly after arrival.
The shooting of Trayvon Lee was not an isolated event. It came just 11 days after the murder of popular Baltimore rapper Lor Scoota, for whom Lee served as business manager. The close timing of the two killings led many to believe they were connected, a sentiment that investigators were actively looking into. At the time, police had not identified any suspects in Lee's murder and described the investigation as ongoing. They acknowledged the possibility of a link to Lor Scoota's death, which they had deemed a retaliatory act for a previous, non-fatal shooting.
Trayvon 'Truz' Lee was a significant figure in the local hip-hop community as the CEO of YBS Records. His death sent further shockwaves through a city already mourning the loss of a prominent artist. The violence also personally affected his family, including his brother, the well-known dirt bike rider Chino Braxton. Braxton had himself been a victim of gun violence earlier that same year, having survived being shot. Despite the public nature of the case and the pleas from the community for an end to the violence, no arrests have been made in connection with Trayvon Lee's murder due to a lack of sufficient evidence. The case officially remains open as authorities continue to seek information that could lead to a breakthrough and bring a sense of justice to a family and a city impacted by this string of violent losses.
