The Baltimore County Police Department is investigating a “targeted and isolated” shooting in Towson that left at least one person dead and nine others injured.

The shooting unfolded around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 8500 block of Loch Raven Boulevard at the intersection with White Oak Avenue, a normally quiet neighborhood ringed with brick row houses decked out with twinkling lights and inflatable Santa Clauses.

The relatively busy stretch of the Baltimore County suburbs is just a block away from a strip of eateries and grocery stores and near two grade schools. Just three miles from Towson University, it’s generally regarded as safe. Data from the Police Department shows Towson generally experiences less gun violence than the rest of the region.

“This is an incident that really shocks the conscience,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., who said such crimes are rare in Baltimore County.

The Baltimore County Police Department received multiple calls about gunshots at the location, said police Chief Robert O. McCullough. When officers arrived, they found a vehicle on its side and engulfed in flames. The Baltimore County Fire Department arrived and took care of the injured, transporting victims to multiple hospitals. No update was available on their conditions, or whether all nine suffered from gunshot wounds or burns from the fire.

The vehicle crashed into Johnson Funeral Home, which was closed at the time, though police are still investigating why that happened. McCullough said the shooting and fire had no connection to any funeral.

McCullough did not specify an age range for the victims or discuss whether a weapon had been recovered at the scene.

“There appears to be some incident that led to the vehicle crashing and catching fire,” McCullough said. “Right now, our investigators are looking into those circumstances.”

McCullough said the police had no suspects in custody and urged members of the public to call 410-887-4636 if they have information. He said there was no threat to the public, as the 10 individuals knew each other somehow and the violence was contained among their group.

About a dozen police cars blocked the intersection of Putty Hill and Loch Raven Boulevard. A helicopter buzzed overhead for more than an hour.

Bubby Desei, a cashier at the nearby Quick Mart, said he was working and heard gunshots.

Police shooed away pedestrians, though some were able to enter the area.

Crime in the county has been a topic of conversation as the Baltimore County Council prepares to choose a new executive to finish Olszewski’s term. He will be sworn in as a Congressman on Jan. 3. When asked what they wanted in a leader, many citizens at a recent hearing mentioned the crime in Towson and said they worried about the perception of the area being unsafe.

Councilman Mike Ertel, who represents the area, agreed with Olszewski that the incident did not indicate a problem in the region.

“I think this is some kind of isolated incident,” Ertel said. “It’s not indicative of a larger picture of the Loch Raven area.”