A man has been sentenced for deadly shooting a 26-year-old during a child visitation dispute in west Baltimore in 2025.
Timothy Shearn was convicted guilty of Deonaye Johnson’s murder and sentenced to life in prison plus an extra 65 years, officials said.
Authorities said Shearn threatened the mother of his child with a handgun before shooting and killing the father of one of her other children.
On September 9, 2025, a woman reported to police that the father of her child had pointed a gun at her.
Authorities followed her to the incident site on the 1000 block of N. Arlington Avenue, but no one was found.
The woman then led the police to another site, but no one was there.
After losing track of the woman while driving, officers attempted to call her and overheard her begging for someone to put the pistol away.
As police attempted to locate her, gunshots were heard, and a ShotSpotter device directed them to the original location.
According to reports, officers discovered Johnson on the ground with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
The woman said she thought Shearn had fled back into one of the two residences on N. Arlington Avenue.
After several hours of searching, police cleared both homes but found no trace of Shearn.
The woman claimed that after the initial threat occurred, she called Johnson, her child’s father, who arrived to help calm the situation.
She indicated that she observed the defendant holding a pistol before Johnson was shot.
Authorities also spoke with a witness at the site, who said he saw Shearn outside before fleeing after the victim was shot.
A search of the house revealed Timothy Shearn’s name and an empty Smith & Wesson gun box.
Six 9mm cartridge cases were also discovered near the scene of the incident, and all were found to have been shot by the same unknown firearm. According to officials, three bullet pieces found during Johnson’s autopsy were from the same unidentifiable firearm.Finally, if you decide to settle a personal dispute with a gun in our city, you will be held accountable. In a press release, State’s Attorney Ivan Bates stated that Mr. Shearn made a deliberate decision to take Deonaye Johnson’s life, leaving a family to mourn a loss that cannot be undone.
Shearn was found guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of using a pistol to commit a violent felony, first-degree assault, and wearing, carrying, or transporting a handgun.
Shearn will now serve the remainder of his life in prison for the fatal shooting.
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