‘Unconscionable:’ 7 shot, 1 fatally, in Northwest Baltimore, police report

Seven men were shot — one of them fatally — on Wednesday after two people got out of a car and began firing at a group gathered at an intersection in Northwest Baltimore, police reported.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said law enforcement was called at 12:24 p.m. to Park Heights and Shirley avenues. He said a group of people were sitting and standing at the intersection when a car pulled up. Two shooters, he said, got out of the vehicle, opened fire and then drove off.

Police said the man killed was 24. Four others — 25, 38, 43 and 63 — were in critical condition. Meanwhile, law enforcement reported that one person, 70, was stabilized, while police did not know the condition of another individual, 55.

Harrison implored anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

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“The brazenness of these offenders to pull up, get out of a car and then open fire on a group of people minding their own business is unconscionable,” said Harrison, who described the shooting as a mass casualty incident. “What’s as unconscionable as that is people who know who was in that car and don’t say anything and don’t help.”

Police later said they were looking for a silver 2016 Lexus CT 200H.

Though he was waiting on additional information, Harrison said he believed that the other people had experienced “non-life-threatening injuries.” He said he had spoken with Mayor Brandon Scott.

The attack happened across the street from a Food City store.

On the corner there, neighbors said, a group of men play cards every day, while others hang around outside Al’s Health and Beauty Aids.

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Crime scene technicians placed more than a dozen yellow evidence markers across the sidewalk and Park Heights Avenue to mark the bullet casings.

Seven people were shot — one of them fatally — on Wednesday after two individuals got out a car and began firing at a group gathered at an intersection in Northwest Baltimore (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

People in the neighborhood say individuals deal drugs on the corner. One person at the bus stop across the street who did not want to be identified reported seeing a man walk up and open fire on the crowd playing cards.

The person said one man in a wheelchair was shot outside the corner store, figuring the attack had been a robbery. “Every single day they sit under that tree and play cards. Every day.”

One neighbor reported hearing 8-10 gunshots fired in rapid succession. When he walked down his steps, he said, he came across a man lying on the ground across from Al’s Health and Beauty Aids.

The man was conscious, he said.

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The neighbor said he saw another man lying in the middle of the street and other people, who had been wounded, walking around.

In 2018, five people were shot nearby on Park Heights Avenue near Keyworth Avenue.

The shooting happened as top city, state and federal law enforcement leaders — including Harrison, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and U.S. Attorney Erek Barron — were speaking about resources and efforts to address violent crime at a park near Tench Tilghman Elementary/Middle School in East Baltimore.

Later, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who was in Baltimore to announce money for public safety programs, described the shooting as “unfortunate.”

“It’s devastating and it’s unfortunate and these are the kinds of stories that sadly we hear far too often, and that’s why we’re trying to address some of these issues,” Hogan, a Republican, told reporters in Little Italy before touring the neighborhood with local business owners.

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”We’re trying to address it from all directions,” he said. “We’ve put billions of dollars into the root causes of crime and we’re putting incredible amounts of money to stop the crime.”

Tipsters can call (410) 396-2100 or contact the Metro Crime Stoppers Tipline at 1-866-7LOCK-UP.

Reporter Pamela Wood contributed to this article.

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