John Gray, a 47-year-old Black man, was a lifelong Baltimore resident known affectionately to friends and family as "John Boy." Born in the city on December 11, 1969, to parents Denise and David Gray Jr., he was educated in Baltimore's public schools. His family remembered him as a fun-loving person who loved to laugh. He enjoyed listening to music, with Yo Gotti being his favorite rapper, and watching basketball games, especially his favorite team, the Lakers. A man of faith, he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior in 2002 at the New Rose of Sharon Baptist Church.
The event that would ultimately lead to his death occurred more than two decades earlier. On July 22, 1993, when John was just 23 years old, he was shot in the 1600 block of E. Eager Street. He survived the initial attack and lived for another 24 years with the injuries he sustained that day.
On Thursday, August 3, 2017, John Gray died.
Following his death, the medical examiner’s office conducted an autopsy and determined that the cause was complications from the gunshot wounds he had suffered in 1993.
With the medical examiner's ruling, John’s death was officially classified as a homicide, becoming Baltimore's 323rd of 2017. The original 1993 shooting was never solved, and no arrests have been made in the case. As of December 2017, the investigation remains open and his death is unsolved. Police have asked that anyone with information call homicide detectives at 410-396-2100, text a tip to 443-902-4824, or contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCK-UP.
