On the afternoon of July 5, 2021, 37-year-old Keith Hughes Jr., a Black man, was shot multiple times on the 1800 block of East Lafayette Avenue in East Baltimore at about 4 p.m. He was taken to a nearby hospital but died of his wounds. A second man was also shot and made it to hospital on his own; he was taken into surgery.

Homicide detectives worked the case and eventually identified 33-year-old Ernest Smith as the alleged shooter. A warrant was issued, and on March 22, 2022 members of the Warrant Task Force arrested Smith in the 3100 block of East Monument Street without incident. He was questioned at the Homicide Section and taken to Central Booking, where he remains in custody awaiting court proceedings.

After Hughes died, his aunt Bessie Bright publicly criticized city officials about ongoing gun violence. If anyone has information about the shooting or knew Keith Hughes Jr., please come forward to assist the investigation.