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The Baltimore security guard who shot and killed a disorderly shirtless man who started a massive brawl in the meat section of a Giant grocery store who won't be facing charges, State’s Attorney Ivan Bates announced.
Titus Ninneh will have a clean record when it comes to the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Nicholas Lee, and the non-fatal shooting of his female friend in July 2021 at the Giant location in the 6600 block of Reisterstown Road in Baltimore, Bates said.
Lee's family and loved ones gathered outside of the supermarket following his death demanding action, as reported by WBALTV.
At approximately 4:40 p.m. on July 13, 2021, members of the Baltimore City Police Department responded to the store, where there was a reported shooting.
Upon arrival, they found Lee with multiple gunshot wounds and a woman who had been shot in her left hand.
The investigation into the shooting determined that Lee - who was not wearing a shirt - and the woman entered the grocery store pushing a baby stroller, and when Ninneh asked him to dress himself, he did not comply and continued walking toward the meat section.
Ninneh followed the pair, repeated his request that Lee put a shirt on or leave the store, at which point, the woman stepped between the two and “escalated the conversation,” according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Officials say that the woman struck Ninneh in the face with a package of meat, and Lee began punching the security guard, forcing him into a display case. The altercation escalated, and Ninneh was repeatedly struck by the two before being placed in a chokehold and wrestled to the ground.
It was then that the woman attempted to take Ninneh’s gun, prompting him to discharge his weapon, and while he got up he fired more shots, hitting Lee and striking the woman in the hand.
Lee was transported to Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead in less than an hour. The woman was taken to Union Memorial Hospital for treatment of her gunshot wound.
Bates said that “while a security guard is not held to the same legal standards as a sworn police officer, it is clear that Ninneh's actions would not be found criminal in nature in a court of law.”
He also made note that his predecessor consulted a use of force expert in 2021, received the results from the expert in 2022, held multiple internal briefings, and was advised by their own advisors to decline charges in the case.
“Although they decided not to prosecute, it seems they did not fulfill their duty to notify the family despite repeated requests,” Bates continued. “This delay, unfortunately, causes more unnecessary trauma to the victim's family. It is truly a tragedy that such a petty dispute resulted in this loss of life and that so much violence was experienced in broad daylight at a bustling business in our community."
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