Tyrone Earl Nelson, a 45-year-old Black man from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, lost his life during a dispute in Hagerstown, Maryland, on the night of Thursday, August 1, 2024. Just before 11:00 p.m., Hagerstown Police responded to reports of a shooting on the 300 block of North Jonathan Street. Arriving officers discovered Nelson suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was immediately transported to Meritus Medical Center for emergency treatment, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced deceased.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was the culmination of a personal conflict. Authorities stated that Nelson and the suspect were acquaintances who had gotten into a dispute. The confrontation, which took place outdoors, escalated into violence. Hagerstown surveillance camera footage captured the tragic sequence of events, showing a disagreement that led to a fight between the two men. The footage then showed the other man pulling a gun on Nelson, who clutched his chest as a puff of smoke emerged from the weapon.
Detectives and the Western Maryland Regional Crime Lab processed the scene and quickly identified the suspect as Brian Anthony Stuart, a 24-year-old Hagerstown resident. The investigation did not require a lengthy manhunt, as Stuart turned himself in to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office only a few hours after the shooting, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Friday, August 2.
Following his surrender, Brian Anthony Stuart was arrested and charged with a litany of offenses for his role in Tyrone Nelson's death. The charges included first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and various handgun violations. Stuart was subsequently detained at the Washington County Detention Center to await trial. The case proceeded through the court system, and Stuart was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder. In July 2025, he was sentenced, bringing the legal case to its conclusion.
