A man will spend up to 30 years in prison after admitting on Tuesday to fatally shooting a 17-year-old during what detectives described as a robbery near the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

Dejuan Cole pleaded guilty in Baltimore Circuit Court to first-degree murder and use of a handgun during the commission of a crime of violence in the killing of Devron Tyner, which happened outside the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel on East Pratt Street on April 1, 2024.

Circuit Judge Robert Taylor Jr. then sentenced Cole, 20, of Fallstaff, to life in prison, with all but 30 years suspended, plus five years’ probation.

Though Taylor said he does not judge people based on their worst moment, he added that there needs to be consequences for these crimes.

“This is just a tragedy,” Taylor said. “There’s this life thrown away.”

In a statement, Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said the plea agreement holds Cole accountable for taking the life of a young man who had so much potential and his entire life ahead of him.

At the same time, Bates acknowledged, no sentence can undo the pain that’s been inflicted on Tyner’s family.

“Devron’s life mattered, and we hope this resolution provides a measure of closure as his family honors his memory,” Bates said.

Tyner was a junior at Lansdowne High School in Baltimore County who would have graduated in 2025. Friends called him “Ron,” and he enjoyed hanging out with loved ones and playing basketball and video games, according to his obituary.

His mother, Latoya Mickens, described the killing as heartbreaking for both families. Tyner was her only son.

“Your honor, the tragedy in this case is almost indescribable,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Twila Driggins, chief of the Felony Trial Division. “It’s almost unspeakable.”

Baltimore Police were able to retrieve surveillance video of the shooting, and tipsters identified Cole after investigators released still photos on social media.

A group of people surrounded Tyner outside the hotel to rob him.

Cole then shot Tyner as he tried to get away. Medics took him to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Roya Hanna, Cole’s attorney, described her client as very respectful and added that he was a good student.

Cole, she said, is remorseful.

“The groupthink mentality got the better of everyone,” Hanna said.

Cole declined to make a statement before sentencing.

He will receive credit for the 672 days that he’s spent in the Metropolitan Transition Center toward his sentence.