Andreas Tavaris

Andreas Tavaris, a 47-year-old former businessman from Baltimore, was just three days past his release from federal prison when his life was cut short by a burst of gunfire on the evening of Monday, February 19, 2018. The fatal encounter occurred inside the His & Her Perfection Barbershop, located in the 3200 block of Eastern Avenue in the city’s Highlandtown neighborhood. Tavaris, a White male, had a background that included a conviction for mail and wire fraud several years prior, and investigators would later state they believed his killing was a targeted attack.

The violence erupted when two men wearing masks entered the barbershop and opened fire. Witnesses in the area reported hearing five or six gunshots. Amid the chaos, Tavaris was struck in the torso. A second man inside the shop, who was 20 years old, was shot in the hand. In a sudden turn, an individual inside the barbershop was also armed and fired back at the assailants, hitting at least one of them. When Baltimore City Police officers arrived at the scene, they found Tavaris suffering from a grave wound. He was rushed to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, but doctors were unable to save him.

The investigation into the deadly shooting was handled by Baltimore Police Department homicide detectives. A crucial break in the case came shortly after the incident when detectives learned of two men who had sought medical help for gunshot wounds. One was the 20-year-old victim who had walked into a Patient First clinic. The other was a 29-year-old man named Sammie Carroll, who had arrived at Johns Hopkins Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds he sustained during the exchange of fire inside the barbershop.

Through their investigation, detectives identified Carroll as one of the two masked gunmen who had stormed the establishment. Less than a month after the murder, on March 16, 2018, police announced Carroll's arrest. He was taken into custody and formally charged with first-degree murder for the death of Andreas Tavaris, in addition to other offenses related to the shooting. He was subsequently held without bail at Central Booking.

Following his arrest, Sammie Carroll was prosecuted for his role in the violent barbershop invasion that ended one life and injured another. Court proceedings would later confirm his conviction on charges including first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. For his part in the killing of Andreas Tavaris, Sammie Carroll was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 60 years, bringing a measure of judicial closure to the case.

While the legal chapter of this case has concluded, little has been shared publicly about the life of Andreas Tavaris. Beyond his history as a local businessman and his past legal troubles, the memories of his family, friends, and loved ones have remained private. The case is officially considered closed by arrest and conviction, but the full story of the man lost on that winter evening in Highlandtown remains known only to those who knew him best.