Baltimore County police have arrested 16-year-old Keith Maurice Jones Jr. and charged him as an adult with the murders of 15-year-old Giovanna “Gigi” Myrie and 9-year-old Steve Allen.
Investigation and Arrest of Keith Maurice Jones Jr.
Authorities took 16-year-old Keith Maurice Jones Jr. into custody Wednesday morning in connection with the deaths of the two siblings. Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough confirmed that the suspect, a resident of West Baltimore, was known to the victims. Authorities noted Jones had a personal relationship with Gigi Myrie, though the chief stated he could not confirm whether the 15-year-old victim and the 16-year-old suspect had been dating. McCullough said he could only speculate that the 9-year-old was involved because he was a witness.
Police identified the suspect through various investigative means, including surveillance footage. The suspect was captured on camera in several ways throughout the community
and had been seen in the area after the shooting, McCullough said during a press conference at the Randallstown Community Center. The chief noted that investigators had a belief there was a definite suspect, even if they did not have a definite identity immediately. I know it took much longer than I wanted it to. However, we have to make sure that we put together a very airtight case, considering the age of the suspect,
McCullough said. According to officials, the teen had visited the home as recently as a few days prior to July 4.
Discovery of the Crime on Talles Road
The tragedy unfolded on July 7 in the 6100 block of Talles Road in Gwynn Oak. Police were dispatched to the residence around 7:20 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from the victims’ mother, who had arrived home to find her children dead. Medics arrived at the scene and pronounced both Giovanna Myrie and Steve Allen dead. Dispatch audio indicated the nine-year-old son was found shot in a bedroom, and the 15-year-old daughter was found shot in the hallway.
Chief McCullough described the neighborhood as a place where police typically handle only minor incidents like noise or speeding complaints, underscoring the rarity and severity of the double homicide. I’ve seen a lot of things in my career,
he said. But this is something that’s horrific. It’s tragic.
Legal Status and Community Impact
The suspect is being charged as an adult with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of use of a handgun in the commission of a felony. During a hearing on Wednesday, his bail was denied, and he is currently being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center. Chief McCullough, who appeared visibly moved while discussing the case, emphasized the gravity of the violence. Two lives were lost. These were lives that will never be realized,
he stated.
The community mourned the siblings during a funeral Mass held at St. Casimir Church in the Canton neighborhood on July 21. Hundreds of people packed inside the church for eulogies and a mass, and family and friends embraced each other as pallbearers loaded the caskets into a hearse.
Councilman Julian Jones, who appeared at the news conference alongside the police chief and County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, remarked on the tragedy. So this is an absolute sad day for all of us here, and our community, and our country, that this type of violence takes place and is being perpetrated by young people,
Jones said. He added that he was “taken back” by the fact that a 16-year-old had a gun and the propensity to actually … murder two people.
As of July 22, authorities confirmed there is no confirmed motive for the shooting.
Related reading