BALTIMORE COUNTY — Jury selection starts Friday in the murder trial of Lydell Darien.
He is accused of shooting and killing Shawn Stewart last year at a cookout in Randallstown.
The last year has been hard for Stewart’s family.
His life was cut short at the age of 49.
Stewart's family tells WMAR-2 news they want justice.
There’s not a day that goes by where James Stewart doesn’t think about his son Shawn Stewart.
“Everyday I think about him, and it’s been hard getting through this because it’s like his life was stolen," said James Stewart.
On July 22, 2023, Baltimore County Police were called to the 8600 block of Lucerne Road in Randallstown for a shooting.
When they arrived, they found Stewart suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
“We used to talk on the phone everyday, and now that I can’t talk to him, I just try to keep his memory alive," said Harold Jones, Stewart's older brother.
Jones wants the person who killed his brother to pay for their actions.
“We want justice. We are going for the ultimate penalty for what happened to my brother," said Jones.
This tragedy is especially tough for Jones and James Stewart because the person accused of killing Shawn Stewart was a family friend.
According to charging documents, Darien and Stewart got into a verbal altercation at the cookout.
Witnesses say Darien left and came back later to shoot Stewart.
“It was like it was pre-meditated murder, which he didn’t see it coming," said James Stewart.
“It’s important to remember the people who got killed to gun violence, who are people family. We all want closure. However, sometimes we have to have a reflection to remember the loved ones we lost," said Jones.
Darien is charged with first degree murder and first-degree assault along with other charges.
The trial is expected to last a week.