More than two dozen people were shot, two fatally during a shooting at a block party in Baltimore, Maryland this weekend. The shooting comes amid a spate of violent crime in the city.
Approximately half of the wounded were minors. Two people, aged 18 and 20, were killed in the incident. Three of those wounded were left in critical condition and nine are still hospitalized.
Baltimore block party shooting victims include more than a dozen injured minors among 2 dead, 28 hurt: cops https://t.co/MsK29bjC4F pic.twitter.com/dyR1YeRZoT
— New York Post (@nypost) July 2, 2023
The incident occurred after midnight Sunday when authorities said that at least two people opened fire during a block party in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood of the city.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said that the state government was “grateful for the actions of the first responders who jumped quickly into action and are confident that our law enforcement officials will swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.”
“My administration is in close touch with local officials and will provide whatever resources are needed to assist,” he said.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) said that the incident had “shaken our city to the very core.”
As of this writing, there have been no arrests tied to the shooting. Authorities said that there was no indication about whether or not the shooting was targeted or random in nature.
The recent shooting comes in light of a significant increase in several types of crimes in the Maryland city.
The city has seen almost 130 homicides and 300 shootings so far in 2023.
In particular, the city has seen a significant increase in the number of carjackings and robberies.
An official from the city’s Fraternal Order of Police said that the city needed 2,800 officers to meet its needs, but currently, the city is staffed by only 2,100 officers.
One of the area’s grocery chains, Giant Food, is considering closing stores in the greater Washington D.C. area, including around Baltimore.
Giant Food President Ira Kress said that there has been a significant increase in theft at the stores’ locations. He also said that the company is currently spending “tens of millions” on new security efforts.
