In the early morning hours of December 23, 2023, a burst of gunfire shattered the pre-dawn stillness in Woodlawn, Maryland, leaving a popular local rap artist dead and four others wounded. The male victim was identified as 28-year-old Judah James, known in the Baltimore hip-hop community as Bandhunta Jugg. The shooting occurred at approximately 4:05 a.m.
in the 1800 block of Woodlawn Drive, near a shopping center.
James, along with three other men and one woman, were sitting inside a white sedan when they were fired upon. The windows of the vehicle were shattered in the attack. When Baltimore County Police responded to reports of a disturbance, they discovered the five victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Judah James was pronounced dead at the scene. The other four victims, whose ages ranged from 25 to 29, were transported to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries.
The investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing, and as of late 2023, no arrests had been made, and police had not publicly identified any suspects. Detectives from the Baltimore County Police Department's Homicide Unit are actively pursuing leads and have been working with local businesses to gather surveillance footage that may have captured the incident or the individuals responsible. Authorities have urged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and have offered a reward for tips that could lead to an arrest.
The death of Judah James, who was the older brother of another rapper known as Bandhunta Izzy, sent ripples through the Baltimore music scene. He and his brother had gained local fame with their music, and fans expressed their condolences on social media in the wake of his killing. The incident has also raised concerns among some community members about the safety of the Woodlawn area.
