On a summer evening in Baltimore, Maryland, the life of 12-year-old Breaunna Cormley was tragically cut short. On Friday, July 19, 2024, police responded to a call for a shooting at a residence in the 500 block of North Kenwood Avenue around 8:13 p.m. Inside, they found young Breaunna on the first floor with fatal gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate efforts of officers and medics to administer CPR, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy would later confirm that she died from two close-range gunshot wounds to her neck and head.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a suspect: 28-year-old Omar Passmore, who was the boyfriend of Breaunna's mother and was home alone with the young girl at the time of the shooting. Witnesses reported hearing loud yelling coming from inside the residence before the gunshots. Passmore was seen sitting on the home's front steps before he fled the area on foot. A manhunt ensued, and two days later, on July 21, 2024, Passmore was located and arrested in Baltimore County. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a backpack containing a loaded. 380 caliber handgun, which forensic testing later confirmed to be the murder weapon.
Following his arrest, Passmore confessed to detectives that he had shot Breaunna. He stated that he was upset with her mother, and this anger led to the fatal shooting of the 12-year-old girl. Passmore was charged with first-degree murder and a felony firearm charge. Court documents revealed a history of domestic violence, as Breaunna's mother had previously been granted a protective order against him. In June 2025, Omar Passmore pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 20 years to be served concurrently, for the murder of Breaunna Cormley. The community mourned the loss of the quiet girl who was remembered by neighbors as a sweet and respectful older sibling who loved to play basketball.
