On February 18, 2021, 40-year-old Justin Allen Bucalo was shot and killed in the 5100 block of Queensberry Avenue in northwest Baltimore. Police arrived about 12:17 p.m.; Bucalo, described as an electrician and artist, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators say Bucalo had met a man for what was believed to be a drug transaction. During that meeting the man pulled a handgun, demanded money, and shot Bucalo when Bucalo tried to drive away. A neighbor reported that the shooter returned a short time later in different clothing and stole money from Bucalo’s vehicle.

Baltimore police arrested 25-year-old Jaqwuan Owens within weeks and charged him with first-degree murder. A May 2022 jury found Owens guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm during a violent crime, and two counts of possession of a firearm with a felony conviction; in November 2022 the court sentenced him to life plus 20 years. Bucalo’s family delivered impact statements at sentencing, describing the depth of their loss. Does anyone have information about Bucalo’s life in the neighborhood or the events that afternoon?