On a summer evening in Baltimore, just after he had hosted a charity basketball game aimed at promoting peace, 23-year-old Tyriece Watson was shot and killed. The male rapper, known locally as ‘Lor Scoota’, was driving his car near the intersection of Moravia Road and Harford Road on June 25, 2016, when a gunman brazenly stepped into the street and opened fire. Watson was rushed to a local hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Police have described the shooting as a targeted and brazen attack.
The investigation into the death of the Black musician quickly garnered attention, with police receiving an unusual number of tips from the community. Surveillance footage captured a green Nissan Quest minivan that was believed to be the suspect's vehicle. Authorities released the footage to the public in the hopes of identifying those responsible for the ambush. The gunman was described as wearing a white bandana at the time of the shooting. Despite the public's cooperation and the available footage, no arrests have been made in connection with Watson's murder.
The story took a darker turn when, merely eleven days after Watson's death, his 24-year-old manager, Trayvon Lee, was also fatally shot. While police have not officially linked the two homicides, the proximity and nature of the killings raised suspicions. Adding to the complexity of the case, a person of interest in Watson's murder, 22-year-old Cortez Mitchell, was himself killed in a shooting in October of 2016. While police had identified several persons of interest and even recovered the gun believed to have been used in Watson's murder, the case remains unsolved.
