On a winter afternoon just two days after Christmas, the life of 21-year-old Tyrez M. Countess, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On December 27, 2024, at approximately 1:49 p.m., Baltimore Police Department officers responded to ShotSpotter alerts in the 2100 block of Druid Hill Avenue. Upon arrival, they found Countess suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was quickly transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was pronounced deceased shortly after at 2:12 p.m. The cause of his death was determined to be a homicide resulting from the gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify 31-year-old Joshua Austin as the suspect. Nearly a month later, on the night of January 20, 2025, police were tracking a vehicle connected to a separate domestic assault and carjacking incident. Officers followed the vehicle to the 2900 block of Riggs Avenue, where Austin bailed out and attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended after a brief chase. Austin was then charged with first-degree murder, handgun violations, and first-degree assault in connection with the death of Tyrez Countess and was held without bail.
The trial for Joshua Austin commenced in early September 2025. Prosecutors described the killing as a 'senseless, senseless murder' that stemmed from a verbal altercation between the two men, which was captured on area surveillance cameras. The dispute reportedly began over a drug sale. Austin took the stand during the trial and claimed he acted in self-defense, testifying that Countess had threatened him multiple times. He alleged that Countess said things like, 'I don't do no fighting, I'm gon' put that thang on you,' and 'If you touch me, I'll blow your f*cking face off.' However, the prosecution argued that Countess was unarmed at the time of the shooting and that surveillance footage showed him with his hands by his side or in the air, not reaching for a weapon. They contended that Austin did not attempt to retreat and instead responded with violence. On September 5, 2025, a jury found Joshua Austin guilty on all counts, including first-degree murder and four firearm violations, for the murder of Tyrez Countess.
