On the evening of July 22, 2023, a cookout in the 8600 block of Lucerne Road in Randallstown, Maryland, ended in violence. Around 9:20 p.m., 49-year-old Shawn Stewart, a truck driver from Northeast Baltimore, was found outside a home with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital and later died of his injuries.

Friends and neighbors said the gathering was larger than usual for the quiet neighborhood. Loved ones remembered Stewart as peaceful and non-confrontational, someone who tried to de-escalate conflicts and helped others; a childhood friend said he never expected Stewart to become a victim of violence. Police say Stewart and a friend, identified as Lydell Darien, got into a fight at the cookout. Authorities allege Darien left, returned, and shot Stewart.

If anyone who attended that cookout or knew Shawn has information that could help clarify what happened, please come forward.