What did Charles Robert Smith do? Charges explored as suspect arrested in Annapolis mass shooting

43-year-old Charles Robert Smith of Annapolis has been apprehended for his involvement in the mass shooting on June 11, 2023, in which three people were killed, and three others were injured. This happened following a neighborhood dispute over parking during a birthday party.

In a media briefing on June 12, 2023, Annapolis Police Department Chief Edward Jackson informed that Charles was charged with three counts of attempted murder, three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault, and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime.

Charles Robert Smith is being held without bond at the Jennifer Road Detention Center.

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Charles Robert Smith surrendered without any hassle

NBC News reported that at 7:50 pm on June 11, 2023, police responded to a call reporting a mass shooting at a residence in the block of 1000 Paddington Place in Annapolis and found three people shot dead, along with three others wounded.

According to the report by NBC News, Charles Robert Smith, a white male, lived in another residence in the same area where the mass shooting took place.

On June 12, 2023, Annapolis Police Department Chief Edward Jackson stated that all the three deceased were Hispanic. He identified them as 55-year-old Nicholas Mireles of Odenton, his 27-year-old son Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz of Annapolis, and 25-year-old Christian Marlon Segovia of Severn.

Chief Jackson also informed that two injured people were airlifted while the other was transported by ambulance to the hospital. All the victims were reported to be stable as of Monday and are expected to survive.

NBC News reported that some of the victims lived in the block where the incident took place, while others lived in the area. Chief Jackson mentioned that upon his arrival, he found 150-200 people there, and Charles was not among those attending the birthday party.

According to a report by Associated Press, Chief Jackson stated that Charles Robert Smith surrendered to the authorities without incident, and police found a semi-automatic handgun and a long gun at the scene.

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Authorities are not eliminating the possibility of a hate crime

Associated Press reported that according to charging documents, a dispute occurred during the party after Charles Robert Smith’s mother, Shirley Smith, called a local parking enforcement worker to complain about a vehicle blocking their driveway.

According to the report, Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz visited Charles’ residence to speak about the issue, which led to an argument between him and Shirley Smith.

The report further mentioned that Charles Robert Smith confronted Mireles Ruiz, which took a violent turn and led to Charles reportedly shooting Mireles Ruiz and Christian Marlon Segovia.

According to charging documents, Charles returned to his residence and reportedly started shooting a long gun out his front window, killing Nicholas Mireles and hitting the other three injured.

Associated Press reported that Charles Robert Smith told authorities he began shooting after someone shot at his house. However, witnesses informed that they did not notice any of the victims with firearms.

Chief Jackson stated that a motive had not been established yet for the crime, and authorities continue to investigate and have issued a search warrant for the suspect's home. He also mentioned that authorities were not canceling out the possibility of the shooting being a hate crime.

"We aren’t ruling anything out. Ostensibly, our suspect is a white male and the three victims are Latino. But we can’t draw any inferences from that. We have to look at every possible angle," Chief Jackson said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting the investigation.