Early on Sunday morning, July 2, a shooting rampage at a block party in the Brooklyn neighborhood of South Baltimore left two dead and many wounded.
The 800 block of Gretna Court was the scene of at least 30 shooting victims. The incident occurred while people were celebrating the Fourth of July in their communities, according to The Baltimore Sun. At around 1:30 in the morning, police said they received reports of gunfire.
Mass Shooting at South Baltimore Block Party Injures 28, Kills 2
Two people, an 18-year-old young woman who was pronounced dead at the scene and a 20-year-old who was taken to the hospital, were killed. Officials said three others are in critical condition, as reported by CBS News.
The University of Maryland Medical System said 12 patients have been sent to the Shock Trauma Center, while four more are being cared for in the pediatric emergency room.
Police discovered multiple victims with gunshot wounds upon arrival at the scene. During a press conference held at the site, Baltimore City's acting police commissioner, Richard Worley, said that nine people were taken to the hospital by ambulance, and another 20 went directly to the hospitals throughout the region.
Several police officers were still at the site several hours after the incident, investigating the area that had several two-story apartment buildings. As people fled the gunfire, they allegedly abandoned folding tables and plastic glasses.
No One Was Taken Into Custody Yet
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott arrived at the site shortly thereafter.
"We will not stop until we find those cowards who decided to just shoot dozens of people, causing two people to lose their lives. And we're going to be here until we find them, until we hold them accountable, until they are held accountable for the actions they took because we cannot rest until they do so. Again our thoughts and prayers are with the entire community and city," Scott stated.
There were no immediate arrests made after the incident. Daily Mail reported that the police are asking for anybody who may have seen the crime or has information to come forward.
Officials have not revealed a motive for the shooting but have stated they are interviewing witnesses and going through surveillance footage in an effort to identify suspects.
The crime scene, according to the authorities, was quite large, and the investigation would take some time.
Contact the Baltimore Police homicide detectives at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP if you have any information that might help the investigation.
Earlier this week, Baltimore's federal prosecutors praised the city's progress in reducing violent crime. There have been less than 130 killings and about 300 gunshots documented by police this year. The government has promised to take a hard stance against those who repeatedly commit acts of violence, as Daily Mail reported.
