Following a spate of violence Friday in Baltimore, five people were shot Saturday and Sunday, one fatally.
The series of shootings should disgust city residents, as people continue to “cowardly turn to violence to resolve basic conflict,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement on Saturday. It also underscores the “urgent need” to address violence from every angle, he said.
“Everyone who loves Baltimore must ask themselves, what more can I do to help prevent violence in our city,” Scott said in an emailed statement. “My hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”
On Sunday at 12:50 a.m., police responded to the Horseshoe Casino parking garage in the 1500 block of Russell Street for a reported shooting. They found a 26-year-old man suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, and he was taken to the hospital.
In a statement, casino officials said their security teams were actively assisting city police in investigating the “isolated incident” but declined to comment further.
Just after 3:30 a.m. Sunday, police responded to a hospital in Baltimore County because someone who had been shot in the city was there seeking treatment. Officers believe the 41-year-old man was shot in the 6300 block of Belair Road in Rosemont East — close to the county line. His injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.
Around 2:12 a.m. Saturday, Eastern District patrol officers responding to a reported shooting in Baltimore’s Middle East neighborhood in the 1100 block of North Patterson Park Avenue found a 26-year-old man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds to the body. The victim was transported to an area hospital and later died.
About 4:20 a.m., also in the Eastern District, patrol officers arrived at an area hospital for a report of a walk-in shooting victim with non-life-threatening injuries. The 41-year-old man was reportedly shot once while walking in the 400 block of North Bradford Street in the McElderry Park neighborhood.
A few minutes later, a Southern District patrol officer found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds in the Brooklyn neighborhood near Washburn at 10th Street. Medics transported the 32-year-old victim to an area hospital. His condition is unknown.
Police are asking anyone with information about the shootings to contact them, or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP to make an anonymous report.
The shootings come on the heels of Friday’s spree when eight people were shot, two fatally, in five incidents on city streets.
John Williams, 48, who saw people running after one of Friday’s shootings, told The Baltimore Sun on Friday he was about to go to the store when he heard loud gunshots. Police rolled up quickly, he said, cordoning off the scene.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with these people,” Williams said. “The weather gets nice, and they start shooting.”
Scott, in his statement, noted that the city is “making progress, but it’s still not enough.”
He said community violence interrupters have mediated 452 conflicts since the beginning of 2022 and Baltimore Police’s clearance rate is up to 55.7%. He also emphasized the work to launch a Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which he said would show people at risk of involvement in gun violence “their lives are worth so much more than those petty conflicts.”
Councilman Antonio Glover, a Democrat who represents a swath of East Baltimore where some of Saturday’s incidents took place, said he didn’t have information on what was behind the most recent shootings.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of the violence,” Glover said.
He said he has confidence in the mayor’s violence prevention plan and the work being done by the police commissioner and the Mayor’s Office for Neighborhood Safety and Engagement but that it’s “going to take some time” to see changes.
He added that these acts of violence speak to “a larger issue, years of neglect to address systemic issues in our community, including trauma, mental health issues, substance abuse issues.”
“Until we begin to fully address the issues, the cycle will continue,” Glover said, adding that addressing violence will take an “all-hands-on-deck approach.”
The mayor, too, encouraged residents to get involved, hold one another accountable and consider mentoring young people or starting a neighborhood watch group.
“Building a better Baltimore will take all of us — elected officials, public safety agencies, businesses, community-based organizations and residents — working day in and day out to make our neighborhoods a safer place for all residents,” Scott said.
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Baltimore Sun reporter Christine Condon contributed to this report.
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