BALTIMORE (WBFF) — A senior Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement official supported Tyree Reynolds’ request for a sentence modification before his release from prison. Eight days later, police say Reynolds opened fire at Leon Day Park, killing 12-year-old Khloe Ishway and wounding four others.
Reynolds is now indicted on 29 counts, including first-degree murder, and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates says prosecutors will seek life without the possibility of parole if Reynolds is convicted of first-degree murder.
The indictment is bringing renewed attention to a letter senior MONSE official Mark Mason wrote supporting Reynolds’ request for a sentence modification.
In the letter, Mason wrote that he would not advocate for Reynolds if he believed Reynolds was a violent offender and said MONSE would work with him upon his release.
Mayor Brandon Scott said Mason was not authorized by MONSE leadership to write the letter.
“This isn’t a MONSE letter. This is his letter,” Scott previously told FOX45 News.
When FOX45’s Mikenzie Frost pointed out the letter was written on MONSE letterhead, Scott responded, “I got that, but it was unapproved.”
Scott also confirmed Mason remains employed by MONSE.
Law enforcement analyst Jason Johnson said Mason’s use of government letterhead is what separates the letter from one written by a private citizen.
“No, it was absolutely inappropriate,” Johnson told FOX45 News. “Any private citizen can write a letter on behalf of someone and that happens all the time and that’s fine. But when you write on a letter on the letterhead of any government agency, but in particular, MONSE…the letter even expressly states that MONSE will work with Tyree Reynolds upon his release.”
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Johnson said he believes Mason’s position and use of government letterhead gave the letter additional influence.
“That absolutely carried weight with the court. I’m sure of it. Whereas a letter from a private citizen may not have carried the same weight,” Johnson said.
Court records show Reynolds pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and use of a firearm in a felony or violent crime in connection with a 2021 shooting. He was sentenced to 15 years for first-degree assault, with all but five years suspended. Court records also show he received a five-year sentence on the firearm charge.
Reynolds was released from prison Sept. 25.
Johnson said Reynolds’ history is why he believes a lengthy sentence would be appropriate if Reynolds is convicted in the new case.
“You would think, having served that time and having had the good fortune of being released very early, that he would avoid being involved in violent crime, but he did quite the opposite,” Johnson said. “So, it seems to me that he’s not able to be reformed.”
At Thursday’s indictment announcement, prosecutors also revealed new information that changes the initial understanding of what led to the Oct. 3 shooting.
Police initially said the gunfire appeared to have started with a dispute over a parking spot and investigators were searching for a second suspect.
Bates said investigators now believe Reynolds knew the man he first allegedly fired at.
“Our investigation has brought to light new information that leads us to believe that the defendant knew the first victim he initially shot at from an altercation days prior, in which it is alleged that Mr. Reynolds was the aggressor,” Bates said.
Prosecutors said Reynolds arrived at Leon Day Park, where a youth football homecoming game was taking place, with a .223-caliber rifle in his backpack. Bates said Reynolds appeared to exchange words with the man before putting down a fountain drink, retrieving the rifle and opening fire.
The man Reynolds allegedly fired at had a valid handgun carry permit and returned fire with his legally owned firearm in defense of himself and others, according to authorities.
A Baltimore Police Department colonel said the information investigators had immediately after the shooting was preliminary and that the continuing investigation revealed a different motive.
Investigators recovered 20 .223-caliber rifle cartridge casings and seven 9mm casings from the scene.
Bates said the .223 casings were recovered where surveillance video showed Reynolds allegedly firing, while the 9mm casings were found where the other man returned fire.
A projectile recovered from Ishway was determined to be in the .22-caliber class, which includes .223 rifle ammunition, Bates said. Prosecutors said the evidence allowed investigators to conclude Ishway was not struck by the 9mm firearm used by the man who returned fire.
Mayor Scott spoke about the human impact of the shooting, saying Ishway had been buried the Saturday before the indictment announcement.
“Shooting anybody isn’t cool,” Scott said. “But doing it to a 12-year-old, that’s a different type of disrespect to not just the community, but what kind of culture we’re supposed to have.”
Bates said he believes in second chances, but said his office takes a different approach when dealing with repeat offenders accused of committing additional violent crimes.
“If you’re going to be in this city, and you’re a repeat violent offender, and you’re gonna carry weapons, and in carrying these weapons, you’re going to prey on our most vulnerable individuals, our older adults, and our children,” Bates said.
Bates said that if prosecutors prove first-degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt, his office will not negotiate on the sentence.
“We are not going to negotiate, and we are not giving a number,” Bates said. “We will only give these four letters, L-I-F-E.”
This post was originally published on Fox 45 by Sinclair Media Group.
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