Fells Point victim in grave condition after being shot in head; neighbors decry "lawless" behavior

BALTIMORE -- A man is in grave condition after being shot in the head just after 1 a.m. Wednesday in Fells Point. A woman was shot in the arm during the same incident and is expected to survive. 

Video WJZ obtained shows one of the victims being taken away by paramedics on a stretcher. 

"We were just watching a movie and then all of a sudden we heard six shots ring out in succession like rapid, a full chamber," a witness who declined to give her name told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "It was pretty violent and aggressive. It was pretty abrupt. It was pretty scary." 

Her roommate said the gunfire made her heart stop. 

"It was terrifying," the roommate said. "I've never heard anything like that in my life."

They said they heard an argument with loud screaming about a half hour before the shooting. 

A large bullet hole shattered the glass of a nearby store, the only visible remnant of the violence. 

"It sucks to say, but it almost feels normal. We got to be inside. So, we got lucky,  But it's just what happens, I guess," said another woman who heard the gunfire. 

WJZ has learned nearby cameras captured the violence. The manager of one business who asked us not to show her face said she is fed up.  

"They shouldn't have to worry about having a black cloud of fear over their head because our neighborhood is taking a drastic dip right now," she said. "It's been pretty lawless this summer. And as far as business owners, management and residents have been trying, we are all feeling a bit stuck. Nobody's helping us. We have to make things better and safer for everybody. This is becoming too much."

Fells Point resident Jesse Britz said once every three to four months something happens in the neighborhood.

"Typically it's after midnight so we just try to stay in when it gets late when the bars start closing," Britz said. "It is very concerning. It makes you want to stay inside after dark."

At a hearing before the city council just hours after the shooting, police briefed lawmakers on the latest crime numbers. 

They noted one fewer homicide compared to this time last year and said they are "sticking to" the current crime plan despite 19 more non-fatal shootings over the summer than in summer 2021. 

Officers have recovered 110 more guns and arrested 163 more people for gun crimes.

Police are dealing with a shortage of sworn officers. 92 officers left the department this past summer alone. 

If you know anything about the Fells Point shooting, you're asked to call police or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-Lockup. You can remain anonymous with your tips. 

• Crime