Second murder trial begins in Baltimore teen’s Edmondson Village Shopping Center shooting case from 2023

Retrial opens more than three years after a fatal after-school shooting

A second murder trial is underway in Baltimore City Circuit Court in the case stemming from a January 2023 shooting outside the Popeyes restaurant at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center that left 16-year-old Deanta Dorsey dead and four other teenagers wounded.

The retrial follows an earlier proceeding that ended without a unanimous verdict, requiring prosecutors to present their case again to a new jury. The defendant, Daaon Spears, was 16 at the time of the shooting and is now 19. He faces charges that include first-degree murder, attempted murder and multiple firearm-related offenses.

What jurors are hearing in the new trial

In opening days of testimony, jurors were shown evidence that included surveillance and other video from multiple angles around the shopping center, as well as 911 calls and police body-worn camera footage documenting the immediate aftermath.

Dorsey, a student at Edmondson-Westside High School, was shot 16 times, according to evidence presented at trial. The shooting happened in broad daylight, and the case has drawn sustained public attention because it involved multiple high school students and occurred at a busy commercial location.

The retrial is occurring because the first jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, leaving the case unresolved.

Defense challenges and the absence of certain forensic links

The defense has argued that the state’s case is circumstantial and has emphasized what it says is a lack of forensic proof directly tying Spears to the gunfire. In court, defense counsel highlighted the absence of DNA, fingerprint or ballistics evidence identifying Spears as the shooter, while disputing the prosecution’s interpretation of the video evidence.

The competing narratives are expected to focus jurors’ attention on identification, the reliability of video interpretation, and how the state connects the defendant to the shooting beyond the scene’s chaos and the number of victims.

Separate proceedings for a second suspect

A second teenager, Bryan Johnson, was also charged in connection with the same shooting and is being prosecuted in a separate case. Court proceedings are not being combined, meaning jurors in Spears’ retrial will be asked to weigh evidence relevant to the charges against him alone.

Key case facts at a glance

• Date and location: January 2023, outside Popeyes at Edmondson Village Shopping Center in southwest Baltimore.
• Victims: Five teenagers were shot; Deanta Dorsey, 16, died. Four others survived with injuries.
• Current posture: Spears is being tried again after the first trial ended without a verdict.
• Charges: First-degree murder, attempted murder and gun offenses.

The retrial is expected to continue with additional witness testimony and continued review of video and emergency-response evidence as the jury determines whether the state has met its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.