On April 15, 2023, 12-year-old Jaylen Richards was shot multiple times in the 2400 block of Maisel Court in the Westport neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore just before 9 p.m. Responding officers found him with multiple gunshot wounds; he was taken to a nearby hospital, underwent surgery, and later died. Witnesses described the weapon used as an assault-style rifle. It was not immediately clear whether Jaylen was the intended target.

Jaylen was a sixth-grade student at Westport Academy. His family said he was on house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor at the time, the result of a prior theft charge, and they believe older individuals had drawn him into criminal activity and exploited his youth. No arrests have been announced and the shooter or shooters remain at large. If anyone in Westport knew Jaylen or has information about who was involved, please come forward to help the investigation.