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 Herbert Lee. A 24-year-old male, Lee was fatally shot on the evening of July 6, 2016. The incident occurred in Northwest Baltimore, outside of his family's home on Anoka Avenue, near Druid Hill Park. He was discovered with gunshot wounds to his upper body and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Lee was a figure in the local hip-hop community, known professionally as 'Truz,' and was the CEO of YBS Records. His death was especially jarring as he was the manager and business partner of rising Baltimore rapper Tyriece 'Lor Scoota' Watson, who had been shot and killed just 11 days prior. Watson was murdered after leaving a charity basketball game intended to promote peace. The proximity and nature of the two killings led to immediate speculation about a possible connection.
At the time, Baltimore police described Lee's shooting as a 'targeted attack.' They acknowledged the troubling coincidence of his death so soon after Watson's, and while they were actively investigating a potential link, they did not immediately name any suspects or make any arrests in Lee's case. It was reported that a suspect in Lee's shooting may have fled the scene in a green Nissan Quest van.
The investigation into Lor Scoota's murder was believed to be a retaliatory act for a previous, non-fatal shooting, though police did not believe Scoota himself was the perpetrator of the earlier violence. In the years since Trayvon Herbert Lee's death, his murder, like that of his artist, remains unsolved. Despite appeals to the public for information, there have been no arrests, and no suspects have been publicly identified, leaving a lingering sense of unresolved justice for the young record label executive.
