In the late hours of March 23, 2023, the life of 33-year-old Ernest Edward Hall III, a beloved male figure in the Baltimore boxing community, was tragically cut short. Known to many as 'Ernie Bug,' Hall was a junior featherweight boxer and a coach who dedicated his time to mentoring youth at the Lightning Quick Fit boxing gym. He was a father of three and was actively preparing for an upcoming bout.
On that fateful night, just after midnight, a vehicle stopped in the 2800 block of
Edmondson Avenue in West Baltimore. Multiple assailants emerged and opened fire indiscriminately into a crowd of people. When the chaos subsided, six individuals had been struck by gunfire. Hall was the only one who did not survive. The other victims, ranging in age from 15 to 24, sustained injuries but lived. The shooters fled the scene in their vehicle, leaving a community to grapple with the sudden and senseless violence.
The investigation into the mass shooting led Baltimore police to make an arrest in early April 2023. A 15-year-old male was taken into custody and charged as an adult with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and various handgun violations. Hall's family expressed their gratitude for the swift action of the police but also conveyed their sorrow that one of the alleged perpetrators was so young, a member of the very youth population Hall had worked to support.
Further investigation identified another suspect, Jabre Griffith. Surveillance footage showed three individuals exiting a vehicle at a gas station and opening fire, while a driver waited. The suspects then switched to a vehicle registered to Griffith. In November 2024, a jury found Griffith guilty of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted murder, and firearms charges. In February 2025, he was sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 120 years in prison for his role in the mass shooting that ended the promising life of Ernest Hall and injured five others.
