Darell Nazty Alston Jr., a 26-year-old Black/African American male, was fatally shot on May 20, 2015, in Baltimore, Maryland. The incident occurred in the 2400 block of E. Monument Street, where Alston was one of five people shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head. Known in the local rap scene by his stage name 'Nazty,' Alston's death was reportedly the culmination of a feud with another Baltimore rapper.
The investigation into the shooting led police
to identify a suspect nearly two years after the fatal event. Antonio Melvin, then 24 years old, was arrested in May 2017 and charged with first-degree murder for Alston's death, as well as four counts of first-degree attempted murder for the other victims who were wounded in the same incident. Authorities believe the shooting stemmed from an ongoing rivalry between two groups associated with the local rappers.
At the time of his arrest, Melvin was on federal home detention for a firearms charge and was also linked to a drug organization in east and northeast Baltimore. The case against him was not without controversy. Associates of the rival rapper suggested that Melvin may have been wrongly accused and that the police focused on an easy motive without fully exploring other leads. Further complicating the matter, one of the detectives involved in the investigation was later indicted on separate federal racketeering charges.
