James Forrester was fatally shot outside his workplace while on the phone with his wife

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WEBVTT THEBALTIMORE TATTOO MUSEUM.HE WAS ON THE FLOOR WITH HIS --ON THE PHONE WITH HIS WIFE WHENIT HAPPENED.>> HE WAS AN AWESOME PERSON.HE WAS IN TWO LOCAL ROCK BANDSTHAT HE WAS A DRIVING FORCE IN.KIM FRIENDS CAN'T BELIEVE JIM: FORRESTER IS GONE, AND SOSUDDENLY.THEY SAY HE WAS WORKING AS APIERCER AT THE BALTIMORE TATTOOMUSEUM IN UPPER FELLS POINT LANIGHT, HE STEPPED OUTSIDE ANDWAS TALKING TO HIS WIFE ON TPHONE.>> SHE HEARD HIM SAY GET AWAFROM M AND THEN NO CONTACT WITHHISHE CALLED THE SHOP AND SAID GOOUTSIDE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ONAND THEY WENT OUT TO FIND HIKIM THEY FOUND HIM LYING ON THE: SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE SHOPAND CALLED FOR HELP.POLICE SAY HE WAS TAKEN TO THEHOSPITAL WHERE HE DIED.THERE WAS TRAUMA TO HIS HEAD BUTTHE AUTOPSY SHOWED HE DIED OF AGUNSHOT TO THE CHESTHE HAS HAD A LOT OF HEALTISSUES RECENTLY SO TO HAVE HIMCOME THROUGH THOSE TO THE OTHERSIDE JUST TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN ISJUST HEARTBREAKING.KIM FRIENDS SAY FORRESTER LEAVES: BEHIND HIS WIFE AND TWOSTEPKIDS.POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING TOFIGURE OUT WHAT MOTIVATED THEATTACK AND IF FORRESTER KNEW HISKILLER.>> AT THIS POINT DETECTIVES AREDOING WHAT THEY DO.THEY ARE KNOCKING ON DOORSSEARCHING THE AREA FOR VIDEOFOOTAGE TO HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TOFIND SOME SUSPECTS HOPEFULLY BEABLE TO FIND SOMETHING THATCAPTURED THE ACTUAL INCIDENT SOWE CAN FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHATTRANSPIREDKIM POLICE WANT TO FIND ANSWERS: FOR FORRESTER'S FAMILY ANDFRIENDS, NOW DEALING WITH GRIEFLESS THAN A WEEK BEFORECHRISTMAS.YOU KNOW THEY HAD EXPECTATIONS>>YOU KNOW THEY HAD EXPECTATIONSOF CELEBRATING THIS TIME OF YEARAND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'PLANNING A FUNERAL.THERE IS NO CALL FOR IT.THERE'S NO RHYME OR REASON FORIT SO WE DEFINITELY NEED TO FINDTHE SUSPECT OR SUSPECTS AND ATLEAST BRING SOME SORT OF CLOSURETO THIS FAMILY.

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Baltimore police are investigating a homicide that happened Monday evening on Eastern Avenue.Officials said that at around 7:30 p.m., officers were sent to the 1500 block of Eastern Avenue for an aggravated assault. When they arrived, they found James Forrester, 43, of West Virginia, being treated by Baltimore City medics for a gunshot wound. Forrester was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he later died.An autopsy performed by the Medical Examiner's Office Tuesday morning showed Forrester died from the gunshot wound to his chest.Forrester was a body piercer at the Baltimore Tattoo Museum. He was fatally shot outside his workplace while on the phone with his wife. Friends said he was a musician and described him as a "bright light.""He was an awesome person. He was in two local rock bands that he was a driving force in," his friend, Chris Keaton, said.Friends said he was working as a piercer at the Baltimore Tattoo Museum in Upper Fells Point Monday night when he stepped outside and spoke with his wife on the phone."She heard him say 'Get away from me! Get away from me!' and then no contact with him. She called the shop and said "Go outside and see what's going on," and they went out to find him," Keaton said.Keaton said coworkers found Forrester lying on the sidewalk in front of the shop and called for help. Police say he was taken to the hospital where he died. There was trauma to Forrester's head, but the autopsy showed he died of a gunshot wound to the chest."He has had a lot of health issues recently, so to have him come through those to the other side, just to have this happen, is just heartbreaking," Keaton said. Friends said Forrester leaves behind his wife and two step kids. Police are investigating to figure out what motivated the attack, and if Forrester knew his killer. "At this point, detectives are doing what they do. They're knocking on doors, they're searching the area for video footage to hopefully be able to find some suspects. Hopefully, (to) be able to find something that captured the actual incident, so we can figure out exactly what transpired," Det. Donny Moses said. Police want to find answers for Forrester's family and friends who are now dealing with grief less than a week before Christmas. "You know they had expectations of celebrating this time of year, and now, all of a sudden, they're planning a funeral. There's no call for it. There's no rhyme or reason for it. So we definitely need to find the suspect or suspects and at least bring some sort of closure to this family," Moses said. Police said they are attempting to locate witnesses and video footage of the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at (410) 396-2100, Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP, or text a tip to (443) 902-4824.