Investigators collected bullet casings from more than a dozen guns at the mass shooting scene in Brooklyn in which two people were killed and 28 others injured, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
Police haven’t released any details since a briefing Monday, when acting Commissioner Richard Worley said in response to a question from a reporter that there were at least more than three guns fired and that the crime lab was working to determine how many.
“We have multiple casings, for example, from one caliber of weapon — that doesn’t mean every one came from that same weapon,” Worley said. “We have to basically have the crime lab decipher whether these casings from this weapon, those weapons came from another weapon. But we do know there are more than two or three.”
The staggering figure is sure to complicate an already complex investigation into the shooting that broke out in a crowd of hundreds celebrating the annual Brooklyn Day event at Brooklyn Homes.
It also remains unclear how many people fired the weapons, as some could have had multiple weapons. And it’s possible some of the casings could have come from discharges earlier in the evening, as police received multiple calls for shootings throughout the night at the party, 911 calls logs and dispatch audio tapes show.
Two people were killed in the shooting that broke out around 12:35 a.m. Sunday: Kylis Fagbemi, 20, and Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, an honors student and recent graduate of Glen Burnie High School. The wounded ranged from age 13 to 32. Authorities are offering $28,000 for information leading to arrests.
Officials have said they did not have sufficient notice of the event to put in place an operational plan to place officers in and around the party, but haven’t provided more information about why there weren’t officers present once it was apparent there was a large crowd.
City logs show a flood of 911 calls beginning at 5:30 p.m., including several unfounded calls for shots fired as well as for armed persons and a noise complaint. Police radioed that the crowd seemed to near 1,000 people and they dispatched a helicopter.
Members of the Safe Streets anti-violence program were present, but left prior to the shooting, while the Southern District had only seven officers working that night according to the police union, well below recommended staffing levels.
Someone posted a video to social media of a young man flashing a gun, and Worley said anyone with a gun at the party is a potential suspect. Mayor Brandon Scott has chided people in the crowd who knew of guns at the event and didn’t call police.
Police haven’t released any video or images from city surveillance cameras or private security footage. Officials including Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Ben Cardin were shown footage in a private briefing.
The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the investigation.
“We are committed to doing a thorough investigation and identifying and apprehending and prosecuting these individuals held responsible for this chaotic incident and this horrific amount of violence,” Worley said Monday. “I strongly urge anyone with any information to help us bring these individuals to justice.”
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