Baltimore's 16-day no-homicide streak comes to an end with fatal shooting on Saturday
A 38-year-old man was shot and killed early Saturday in West Baltimore, ending a 16-day stretch without a homicide in the city, police said.
Around 1:07 a.m., officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert for gunshots in the 2500 block of West Franklin Street.
At the scene, officers located and assisted a 38-year-old male who had been shot multiple times. He was later taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
However, due to the severity of his injuries, he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Homicide Detectives are investigating this incident and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 410-396-2100.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may utilize the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-866-7LOCKUP. You may also submit an anonymous online text tip to Metro Crime Stoppers by visiting the MCS website.
City's homicides slower than 2024
Police said the city had not recorded a homicide since July 23, marking a 16-day streak during what is typically the busiest time of summer.
Baltimore has recorded 84 homicides so far this year, compared with 115 at this time last year.
However, neighbors still have concerns despite the progress that's been made to reduce violent crime.
"It didn't used to be like this around here, but now it's really getting bad," said Dwayne, a local resident. "It don't make no difference where you go."
Lakeysha, another resident, also chimed in, warning people to "Stay in the house."
Others say they make an effort to stay vigilant and careful, but overall feel pretty safe.
Though, there's always more that can be done.
"There's some streets that don't have lighting, so that would be helpful ..." Manny Soto, a nearby neighbor, told WJZ's Ashley Paul.
410 guns collected during buyback event on Saturday
410 firearms were collected on Saturday during a gun buyback event in Southwest Baltimore.
In return, gun owners received $100 and $300 for each weapon handed in, depending on the type of firearm.
The effort was led by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, along with the Baltimore Police Department, to reduce the amount of guns on the street.
"We always say that in cooperation with getting weapons, it's also about the conversation we have with the larger community, with those who come here and those who care about it, that it's about creating that culture of peace," said Pastor Michael Murphy. "Every life is sacred, every person's life has meaning, and how we grow to love and respect that helps squelch hopefully the ongoing violence that we see."
This year's collection of 410 firearms brings a total of 1,076 guns collected since the Archdiocese began collecting guns back from the community in 2022, according to the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
