Man Once Called 'Baltimore's No. 1 Trigger Puller' Mistakenly Released Briefly Friday

A man arrested in August who was at the time called "Baltimore' No 1 trigger puller" was mistakenly released from Central Booking early Friday.

Montana Barronette was indicted by on federal charges, so the state dropped its charges against him. However, the Central Booking employees who released him weren't aware of the indictment or federal detainer on him when he was freed at 3 a.m. that day, state corrections spokesman Gerard Shields said in an email.

Barronette was taken into custody by federal agents at about 6:40 p.m. that evening in Reisterstown and taken to the Chesapeake Detention Center in Baltimore. Two Central Booking employees have been suspended, Shields said, as the department's investigation continues.

There were two homicides in Baltimore in the nearly 16 hours Barronette was free. Police have not said if they suspect him of any involvement in either.

Barronette was charged with first-degree murder in a May 2014 killing, and police Commissioner Kevin Davis suggested at the time he could be linked to up to a dozen murders over the preceding two years.