Teen found not guilty in Edmonson-Westside High School shooting

BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) — One of two defendants charged in a mass shooting that killed an Edmondson-Westside High School student and injured four other students in 2023 was found not guilty on all charges on Friday.

Daaon Spears, 19, was facing multiple criminal charges including first degree murder and attempted murder in connection to the death of 16-year-old Deanta Dorsey.

Spears was found not guilty on all counts in court on Feb. 27.

On January 4, 2023, Dorsey and four of his classmates were shot while across the street from their high school, outside of a Popeyes at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center. Dorsey was killed.

About one month later, Spears was charged with the crime, and in 2024 he was first tried in the case, but a judge declared a mistrial. That same year Spears’ now co-defendant Bryan Johnson was also charged in connection to the crime.

Opening Statements

During opening statements, the State and Defense laid out their case to the jury.

The State told jurors, “when you pull out a gun and shoot someone 16 times there is intent to kill.”

The Defense told the jury Spears is not guilty of each charge and claimed the evidence shows that.

Spears’ attorney told the jury, “The State is pointing its finger in the wrong direction.”

State Witness Testimony/Evidence

Dorsey’s family became emotional in court when the State played recordings of multiple calls to 911 in the moments following the mass shooting.

One caller kept repeating “He’s gone, he’s gone,” to dispatch.

The State also presented the jury with body-worn camera footage and testimony from a responding Baltimore police officer, autopsy results and photos of evidence, including ballistic evidence collected by crime lab technicians.

Testimony from one of the technicians included the recovery of shell casings, a magazine from a side alley, a cell phone and swabs of suspected blood and DNA.

An assistant medical examiner testified Dorsey was shot 16 times, and he was able to recover three projectiles during the autopsy that were later submitted to evidence.

The Defense cross questioned the majority of the witnesses the State called to the stand Tuesday.

When asked, Spears’ attorney declined to comment at the time.

Now, Spears has been found not guilty of all charges.