Oliver mass shooting: Man charged with murder held without bail; attorney calls him ‘peacemaker’

A Baltimore judge denied bail Wednesday for a motorcycle club member accused of murder in a fatal fight that started over a parking spot.

Eric Kibler, 43, of Hagerstown, is charged with first- and second-degree murder and related assault and firearms offenses in the Aug. 18 death of 36-year-old Anthony Martin, one of eight people shot in the Oliver neighborhood that night.

Kibler belongs to the Thunderguard motorcycle club, which was holding a vigil that evening in the 1300 block of North Spring Street for a member who had died.

Kibler’s attorney, Tony Garcia, told District Court Judge Darren Kadish on Wednesday that his client repeatedly attempted to break up a dispute between a young woman and four armed men at an event where the Thunderguard members planned to release balloons in honor of their fallen member.

“Over and over again, he attempted to play peacemaker,” Garcia said.

He said video evidence will show that Martin pulled out a gun and fired first at Kibler, who Garcia said fired back.

Police wrote in charging documents that surveillance footage captured multiple shooters and showed Kibler standing in front of Martin and shooting him. Investigators found ballistics evidence from at least 10 guns at the scene, police said shortly after the shooting.

Kibler is a married father of seven who homeschools some of his children, Garcia said. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he works as a property manager and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, along with other chronic health issues. His relatives, some of them weeping, filled a row of the courtroom.

Garcia argued unsuccessfully that Kibler should be released on home detention because had he been a flight risk, he would have had ample time to flee the state.

“This happened six weeks ago,” Garcia said. “He could’ve driven to Alaska; he could’ve driven to Seattle to watch the Seahawks play football.”

Police wrote in charging documents that the conflict started with a verbal argument between Martin and the motorcycle club members around 7:19 p.m. Martin died at the Johns Hopkins Hospital at about 8:50 p.m.

According to 911 data, two noise complaints and a disorderly conduct report were made in the area about an hour before reports of a shooting, but a police spokesperson said an officer who responded could not find the source of the noise.

In addition to Martin, six men were injured in the shooting near Calvin B. Scruggs Sr. Park and behind Dr. Bernard Harris Sr. Elementary School, along with a 41-year-old woman.

Days after the shooting, a fire occurred at the motorcycle club’s hangout at 1301 N. Spring St., in what police suspect was an act of retaliatory arson. In a May citation, Baltimore housing officials accused the property owner of allowing a motorcycle transport company to operate in the garage without a permit.

Oliver residents had raised concerns about the bikers using the park and areas nearby, complaining of problems parking and loud noise late at night, leaders of the People’s Association of Oliver Community Inc. told The Baltimore Sun in August. Police responded to eight complaints this year of noise, disorderly conduct and other disturbances, while a 311 database shows complaints for poor sanitation, illegal dumping and parking.

Kibler appeared on video for his bail review Wednesday. Jail staff told the judge that Kibler had to be kept isolated from the other detainees present for their virtual bail hearings. Garcia said after the hearing that the move was a common precaution for “high-profile cases,” including when gang affiliations or personal relationships could create a safety risk.

Garcia told reporters that witnesses will testify that Kibler asked Martin to leave the confrontation multiple times, even after Martin pulled out a gun.

“If somebody fires a gun at you, points a gun at you and then fires it twice, I think you defend yourself with whatever’s nearby, whether it’s a gun, bat or toothpick,” Garcia said outside the courthouse.

According to court records, Kibler pleaded guilty in 2013 to possession of a regulated firearm by a person convicted of a disqualifying crime, a misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in 2009.

Asked if Kibler was legally allowed to have a gun, Garcia said that was an issue for trial.

“My client had a gun to defend himself,” he said.

Have a news tip? Contact Cassidy Jensen at cjensen@baltsun.com , (443) 515-2165 and x.com/cassidymjensen .