It was a blistering Thursday afternoon in downtown Baltimore when everything changed for two families. If you lived in the city in July 2022, you likely remember the headlines. They were everywhere. A 48-year-old father and engineer named Timothy Reynolds was shot and killed at a busy intersection near the Inner Harbor.
But the details? They’re messy. They involve a baseball bat, a group of teenagers, and a city-wide debate over "squeegee workers" that basically tore Baltimore’s social fabric apart for a year. Honestly, it’s one of those cases where nobody truly won, and the "why" behind it is still being picked apart by legal experts and local residents alike.
What Happened to Timothy Reynolds on July 7, 2022?
To understand the case, you have to look at the intersection of Light and Conway Streets. It’s a high-traffic area, the kind of spot where kids often stand with spray bottles and squeegees, offering to clean windshields for tips.
Around 4:40 p.m., Timothy Reynolds was driving through that intersection. Something happened between him and the workers. We don't know the exact words exchanged, but it was enough to make Reynolds stop his car. He didn't just stop; he got out.
And he had a baseball bat.
Dashcam footage and witness testimony later showed Reynolds walking across several lanes of traffic toward the group of teens. He was a big guy—about 6'3" and well over 200 pounds. The workers were, by all accounts, much smaller. According to prosecutors, Reynolds swung the bat at the group. He missed.
💡 You might also like: Passive Resistance Explained: Why It Is Way More Than Just Standing Still
Then, things turned lethal.
As Reynolds was reportedly walking back toward his vehicle, or at least moving away, someone in the group threw a rock. It hit him in the head. He was dazed. Stumbling. It was at this moment that a 14-year-old boy, later identified as Tavon Scott, pulled a gun from a backpack, put on a mask, and fired.
Reynolds was shot five times. He died at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center shortly after.
The Trial and the Verdict
For a long time, the city was in a deadlock over whether this was murder or self-defense. The defense team, led by J. Wyndal Gordon and Warren Brown, argued it was a classic case of road rage. They painted Reynolds as the aggressor—an adult who brought a weapon to a confrontation with children.
"They were children out there," Gordon told jurors. "Do you know who the adult was? Timothy Reynolds."
📖 Related: What Really Happened With the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz
The prosecution, however, focused on the sheer number of shots. Five. They argued that even if Reynolds had been aggressive, the threat had effectively ended once he was hit with the rock and was clearly disoriented. They also pointed to the fact that the shooter put on a mask before firing, suggesting a level of premeditation rather than a panicked reaction.
In July 2023, the jury reached a decision after 13 hours of deliberation.
- First-Degree Murder: Not Guilty.
- Second-Degree Murder: Not Guilty.
- Voluntary Manslaughter: Guilty.
They also found the teen guilty of two handgun charges. It was a middle-ground verdict that left neither side particularly happy. The Reynolds family wanted a murder conviction; the defense wanted a full acquittal based on self-defense.
The Sentence: 15 Years Behind Bars
In October 2023, the case reached its legal conclusion. Tavon Scott, who was then 16 but only 14 at the time of the shooting, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
There was a massive push by the defense to move the case to juvenile court. They argued that a 14-year-old’s brain isn't fully developed and that he shouldn't be discarded. But the judge, citing the severity of the crime and the use of an illegal "ghost gun" (a firearm without a serial number), decided he should be sentenced as an adult.
👉 See also: How Much Did Trump Add to the National Debt Explained (Simply)
The judge handed down 15 years, with the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, Timothy's sister, Rebecca Reynolds, gave a gut-wrenching statement about how the loss of her brother didn't just kill him—it killed her life with him.
Why the Case Still Matters in 2026
If you’re wondering why people still talk about what happened to Timothy Reynolds, it’s because the case forced Baltimore to change.
Immediately following the shooting, the city implemented a "Squeegee Collaborative." It basically banned squeegeeing at certain high-traffic intersections and set up programs to get the kids into actual jobs or school programs. It was a reactive move, but it has significantly decreased the number of "squeegee-related" altercations in the city.
But the emotional scars remain. You have a family in Hampden still grieving a father of three. You have a young man who will spend his formative years in an adult prison. And you have a city still trying to figure out how to handle the deep-seated issues of poverty and gun violence that led to that intersection in the first place.
Practical Lessons and Next Steps
Looking at the Reynolds case offers a few grim but necessary takeaways for anyone navigating urban environments or legal disputes:
- Avoid Escalation at All Costs: No matter how frustrated you get in traffic, staying in your car is the only safe move. Once you exit a vehicle with a weapon, the legal "self-defense" landscape changes instantly and often against you.
- The Reality of "Ghost Guns": This case highlighted the prevalence of untraceable firearms in the hands of minors. In 2026, law enforcement continues to crack down on these, but the danger remains a reality in many metropolitan areas.
- Understanding Voluntary Manslaughter: This verdict is a reminder that the law looks for "proportionality." If a person is no longer a direct threat (like being dazed from a rock), using lethal force is rarely considered "justifiable" self-defense in the eyes of a jury.
The story of Timothy Reynolds is a tragedy of a few seconds of rage resulting in a lifetime of consequences. For those following the aftermath, the focus has shifted toward community programs and stricter enforcement of "no-squeegee zones" to ensure that a simple traffic light never becomes a crime scene again.
To stay informed on local public safety updates or to see how the Squeegee Collaborative is progressing, you can check the latest reports from the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). Watching these policy shifts is the only way to gauge if the city is actually learning from the events of July 2022.