Baltimore mayor calls Sunday’s mass shooting ‘reckless’ and ‘cowardly’ act of violence

A Baltimore, Maryland, shooting overnight left two dead and 28 others injured, prompting the city’s mayor and police to call on citizens to come forward with any information about the mass shooting that could lead to an arrest.

“This was a reckless, cowardly act of violence that has taken two lives and altered many, many more,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said on Sunday afternoon. “We will find those who are responsible, and we will not stop until we do so.”

Baltimore Police Department Acting Commissioner Richard Worley said officers responded to calls of a shooting at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, in a section of south Baltimore called Brooklyn.

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When officers arrived, they found 10 victims, including an 18-year-old female who was pronounced dead on the scene.

The nine additional victims were taken to local hospitals, and shortly thereafter, 20 additional victims walked into local and regional hospitals with various injuries. Worley said all 30 victims, ranging in age from 13-32, suffered from gunshot wounds.

Police confirmed that a 20-year-old man was also pronounced dead at a hospital.

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As of Sunday afternoon, nine of the victims remained at regional hospitals in various conditions.

“Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to the families, friends, this community and our city as a whole,” Worley said. “Our officers continue to scour the very large crime scene.”

He added that his department is receiving assistance from federal, state and local partners, and they have all been communicating throughout the day, providing resources and anything else to help with the investigation.

The incident happened during a gathering in the Brooklyn Homes section of South Baltimore.

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Worley said multiple people opened fire on the unpermitted event, though he could not say how many exactly. None of the suspects were in custody as of Sunday afternoon.

He described the multi-block crime scene as “huge,” adding that K-9 units helped located gun shell casings in more areas, causing the scene to expand even more than originally though.

The gun shell casings were from various types of guns, though the acting commissioner would not speculate on the types of guns they came from.

Scott called the incident another “glaring” and “unfortunate” example of deep issues of violence in Baltimore, Maryland and the U.S., particularly involving gun violence and illegal access to guns.

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This year in Baltimore, he said, police have seized 1,345 illegal guns in the hands of people who should not have them but had them because they are “easy to obtain.”

“This act of violence has shaken our city to the very core, and we are all grappling with the shock, pain, and trauma that accompanies such a heinous act of destruction,” he said in a statement online. “This tragedy again shows why we must continue to focus on the amount of illegal guns on our streets that make it into the hands of individuals who should not have them and continuously carry out violent acts in our city.”

The mayor said there needs to be accountability at all levels of the illegal gun trade, including those who traffic or manufacture them in ways they know will lead to violence.

The mayor and acting commissioner asked anyone with information about the ongoing investigation to either call 911 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7-LOCKUP.

They also encourage anyone with Ring doorbell cameras that may have captured the incident to notify investigators.