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Baltimore man sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in an April 2019 shooting spree

His vehicle was also present at a double homicide the day prior to fatal shooting
Posted at 5:13 PM, Jan 26, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-26 17:37:16-05

BALTIMORE — Donte Patterson was sentenced to life with an additional 52 years in prison Wednesday for the fatal shooting of Levar Mullen-El and three additional non-fatal shootings April 2019.

RELATED: Baltimore man facing 200 years for April 2019 homicide

At approximately 11:17 a.m., police were alerted by shotspotter of multiple gunshots in the area near Mondawmin. Upon arrival, they found four victims, including Levar Mullen-El, who ultimately died from his injuries, and three other individuals who suffered gunshot wounds but survived.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene in the 2200 block of Ruskin Avenue. Crime lab technicians responded and recovered multiple 9mm and .40 caliber casings.

Investigators located a surveillance camera which showed a suspected vehicle parked in that block with four individuals, all dressed in black, exiting the vehicle, head south towards the 2200 block of Ruskin, and then returning a brief time later.

The fifth suspect remained in the vehicle as the driver.

Police were able to identify the vehicle and found that the car was present at both the shooting scene as well as at the scene of another murder the night before, where two individuals, Marcus Alston and Diarah Baxter, were killed.

Patterson’s car was located by police on April 17, 2019, where it was towed pending a search and seizure warrant. Patterson was seated on the hood of the vehicle when it was retrieved.

The vehicle was then processed by Crime Lab Technicians and detectives who performed an extraction of Patterson's cell phone, which revealed several pieces of evidence, including a video that was created an hour before the murder. Patterson was wearing clothing consistent with the individuals that exited the vehicle and was seated in a vehicle with a handgun on his lap.

"Handgun violence is unacceptable on our city’s streets, no matter the reason. Revenge and retaliatory acts circumvent the criminal justice process and simply continue the destructive cycle of violence," said State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. "The stiff sentence ensures that Mr. Patterson will never pull a trigger on our streets again. We thank the members of the jury for holding this violent man accountable for his deplorable actions."