On a tragic Sunday evening, April 20, 2014, the life of 39-year-old Michael Jefferson Jr. was cut short in a fatal shooting. The incident unfolded just before midnight at his home on Rocky Brook Court in the Woodlawn area of Baltimore, MD. Responding to a call for shots fired, police officers discovered Jefferson in his front doorway, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier that day, Jefferson had been enjoying a cookout with his neighbor, Brandon Jerome Stanfield, and another person. After the gathering, the three returned to Jefferson's residence. An argument reportedly broke out after Stanfield placed a gun on the kitchen table, a sign of disrespect in Jefferson's eyes.
The verbal altercation quickly escalated to deadly violence. As Jefferson attempted to flee, Stanfield allegedly shot him multiple times. Witnesses reported that Stanfield continued to fire as Jefferson tried to escape and then collected the shell casings from the floor. Another witness suggested Stanfield was upset because Jefferson had left the cookout before Stanfield's family arrived.
In the aftermath of the shooting, police arrested 30-year-old Brandon Jerome Stanfield. A search of his home uncovered a gun and shell casings that matched those found at the crime scene. Stanfield was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and was held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
