17-year-old girl recovering after she was found shot in vehicle in West Baltimore
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Police say a 17-year-old shooting victim is stable after officers found her in a vehicle shot multiple times Thursday night.
Police responded to reports of a shooting around 7:15 p.m. in the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. The victim was sitting in a vehicle at the time.
She was taken to the hospital and was initially reported to be in critical condition.
Neighbors along that part of Pennsylvania Avenue told WJZ they were surprised to hear about the shooting. They also were heartbroken for the victim.
When it comes to crime, two neighbors said said it's getting out of hand.
"It's pitiful what is going on. I'm almost scared to walk the street, even during the daytime," one of the neighbors said.
Despite that, it was still a shock to learn a 17-year-old shooting victim was found in the neighborhood.
"The crime is just jumping up here," the neighbor continued. "They're killing and shooting people just to say, 'I got a body, I shot somebody last night.'"
The other neighbor was relieved to hear the victim survived.
"I'm happy to hear that. My prayers are going to be 100% for her getting better and her family," he said.
Last year, Baltimore saw a 20% decrease in homicides, keeping the number below 300 for the first time since 2014. Non-fatal shootings also went down 8%.
But, the neighbors tell WJZ there still needs to be more accountability for criminals.
"Each one of them that do the crime, make sure they got to court and do the time," one neighbor said.
Until then, it's all about keeping each other safe -- looking out for their neighbors.
"The only thing that can be done about it is people sticking together, being aware," the other neighbor said.
So far this year, there have been 54 non-fatal shootings, according to police data. At this point last year, there were 65.
Anyone with information about what happened to the victim found on the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue is asked to call police at 410-396-2477.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may utilize the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
