Mass Shooting Vigil Is ‘What Community Looks Like’ 1 Year After Annapolis Attack

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Residents marched through downtown Annapolis Tuesday to mark one year since three fathers were killed in a mass shooting after a birthday party parking dispute.

The mourners gathered at Lawyers Mall and proceeded to City Dock, where they released butterflies to remember 55-year-old Nicolas Mireles of Odenton, his son 27-year-old Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz of Annapolis and their family friend 25-year-old Christian Marlon Segovia Jr. of Annapolis.

Nelcy Goss, Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz's sister, planned the remembrance.

"We're here so everyone can remember who they were," Goss said at the walk, according to WJZ. "They know we're not going to back down and we're going to get justice for that day."

WBAL reported that Judi Abundez, Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz's wife, said "none of us deserve to feel this pain that we feel every day."

"We have good days and bad days, but really the boys, my boys really keep me going," Abundez said, according to WBAL. "I have three boys, so I have to keep going. There's no, no other choice."

City officials and residents joined the families at the memorial event. Leaders offered their condolences, but families called for substantive action.

The Capital reported that Julian Segovia, Christian Segovia's brother, said they need more than "performative actions." The crowd of supporters offered Julian Segovia a glimmer of hope.

"This is what community looks like," Julian Segovia said, according to The Capital. "This is the important part of Annapolis. This is the important part of the state of Maryland."

After his son's death, Christian Segovia Sr. met Gov. Wes Moore and told him not to shake his hand if he wasn't going to help. The Capital said Moore shook Christian Segovia Sr.'s hand, but the mourning father said he hasn't gotten much help since.

"That's a shame," Christian Segovia Sr. said, according to The Capital. "But he can still make it up."

Annapolis Hope was founded to fundraise to support the Mireles family.

Annapolis Hope and The Baltimore Banner said Nicolas Mireles and his wife, Sandra Mireles-Perez, were two years into a five-year, lease-to-own contract on their Odenton home.

Without the income from Nicolas Mireles' landscaping business, the family is at risk of losing the house.

The Banner said the landlord agreed to sell them the house for $247,000, $10,000 below market value, if they raise the money by August.

Annapolis Hope has raised nearly $135,000 so far. That's about 55 percent of the goal.

The fundraiser is still accepting donations. Anybody can donate at annapolishope.com.

The Segovia family is also collecting donations on this GoFundMe. It has raised $26,000 of its $50,000 goal.

Police said three other victims were wounded in the June 11, 2023 shooting in the 1000 block of Paddington Place, but they all survived.

Charles Robert Smith, a 44-year-old Army veteran from Annapolis, was arrested in the case.

Families and prosecutors allege that the white suspect shooting the Hispanic victims was a hate crime.

Smith's attorney said the suspect is on five different post-traumatic stress disorder medications and hadn't taken the medicine for several days before the shooting, WBAL reported.

Court records show that Smith is charged with 42 offenses. Twenty-four of the charges are felonies, including three counts of first-degree murder, six counts of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of racially motivated crimes resulting in death.

Smith is currently being held without bond. His trial was scheduled for this month, but it was postponed until February 2025.

To see responses from Moore and Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, read The Capital's story.

Video from the march is included in the WJZ and WBAL articles.

Related:

• Annapolis Mass Shooting Vigil To Be Held 1 Year After Attack
• Annapolis Mass Shooting Victims Remembered As Caring Dads At Funerals
• Gun Violence Prevention Plan Unveiled After Annapolis Mass Shooting
• Annapolis Mass Shooting Was Hate Crime, Families Allege At Vigil
• Annapolis Mass Shooting Suspect Is Army Veteran With PTSD: Reports
• Annapolis Mass Shooting: 3 Victims, Suspected Gunman Identified