Jazmyn Reed, a 30-year-old Black female, died on January 14, 2024, following a shooting in Baltimore, Maryland. The incident occurred in the early morning hours inside a car on the Jones Falls Expressway, near Exit 3. Reed was found with a gunshot wound to her face and was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The sole suspect in the case was her 27-year-old boyfriend, Christopher Lee, who was with her in the vehicle at the
time of the shooting. Lee himself called 911 to report the incident, claiming that a verbal altercation had escalated. His account to the police suggested that Reed had reached for his legally owned handgun, which was kept under a seat, and during a struggle for the weapon, it accidentally discharged.
Lee was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and other related offenses. The case proceeded to trial, where the prosecution argued that the evidence pointed to an intentional act, not an accident. They highlighted that Lee did not immediately render aid to Reed and that the nature of the wound was inconsistent with an accidental shooting during a struggle. The defense maintained that the shooting was a tragic accident, emphasizing that Lee had no intention of harming his girlfriend and that he had called for help.
The legal proceedings took a turn when a mistrial was declared in July 2025 due to issues surrounding the introduction of new evidence by the defense. A new trial commenced, and in November 2025, a jury acquitted Christopher Lee of all charges related to the death of Jazmyn Reed.
