Dejuan Cole sentenced to 30 years for killing 17-year-old outside Baltimore hotel

Dejuan Cole pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with all but 30 years suspended, with the first five years ineligible for parole, for the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Devron Tyner outside the Renaissance Baltimore Harbor Place Hotel. The sentence was announced by the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City on February 10, 2026; Circuit Judge Robert Taylor Jr. imposed the disposition following a guilty plea to first-degree murder and a firearms offense described as use of a handgun in a crime of violence.

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred on April 1, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m. on the 200 block of E. Pratt Street in the Inner Harbor. Officers found Tyner lying motionless outside the hotel and he was taken to Shock Trauma, where he later died despite life-saving efforts. The State’s Attorney’s Office said investigators recovered several pieces of video footage that depicted a suspect in a light-colored sweatshirt firing at the victim; still images from that footage were released publicly and led tipsters and witnesses to identify Cole.

Charging documents reviewed during the investigation describe multiple surveillance camera angles capturing the shooting and the suspect’s movements before and after the incident, including what police described as an escape route through the city’s subway system. Authorities have said Cole turned himself in as investigators closed in. Felony Chief Twila Driggins prosecuted the case for the State’s Attorney’s Office.

State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates framed the sentence as an accountability measure: “Today’s sentence holds this individual accountable for a devastating act of violence that took the life of Devron Tyner, a young man with so much potential and his entire future ahead of him.” Bates added that while no sentence can undo the family’s loss, the outcome reflects a commitment “to seeking justice on behalf of victims and standing beside their loved ones every step of the way.”

Judge Robert Taylor Jr. reflected on the human cost in court, saying, “This is just a tragedy,” and “There’s this life thrown away.” Assistant State’s Attorney Twila Driggins told the court, “Your honor, the tragedy in this case is almost indescribable,” a sentiment prosecutors said underscored the severity of the offense. The Banner reported that the sentence also included five years’ probation; that detail has not been included in the State’s Attorney press release and should be confirmed in the official sentencing order.

Tyner was a junior at Lansdowne High School who would have graduated in 2025. Friends called him Ron, and his obituary noted he enjoyed basketball and video games. His mother, Latoya Mickens, described the killing as heartbreaking for both families.

For Baltimore residents, the case raises questions about public safety in a high-traffic tourism and transit corridor, the role of surveillance in investigations, and how prosecutors and judges balance accountability with plea agreements and parole rules. The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City can be contacted at 443-984-6000 or mail@stattorney.org for court documents and further records. The sentencing closes this criminal chapter but leaves open policy questions about prevention, community trust in policing, and transparency in courthouse outcomes that city leaders and voters will face in the months ahead.