Man shot inside vehicle that crashed into West Baltimore home, police say
A 27-year-old man remains in critical condition after he was shot in a vehicle that crashed into a West Baltimore home on Christmas Eve, according to police.
Officers responded shortly before 7 p.m. for a crash into a home in the 2600 block of West Lafayette Avenue, where they found the man inside the vehicle suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
First responders took him to the hospital. Due to the extent of his injuries, Baltimore Police called in homicide detectives.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup or homicide detectives at 410-396-2100.
Homeowner reacts: "Very painful"
William Hayes, who owns the home on West Lafayette Avenue, is left wondering if and when he will be able to rebuild.
"It's very painful," Hayes said.
He said the boarded-up house he spent years owning is now condemned. He said his neighbors called him Christmas Eve to tell him about the wreck at his front door.
"A car, right through your living room," Hayes said. "Come on, man."
Hayes said not only did the event happen hours before Christmas but also on the day he had planned to travel to Georgia.
"The thing that makes this even worse is that I was supposed to be with my family today," he said.
Neighbor Dominic Palmer isn't surprised by the Christmas Eve crash. Palmer said he's witnessed similar incidents like a car running into the hedges of this same residence before.
"Three years ago, it was four people they stole a car, a Kia," Palmer said. "It was like four teenagers and they crashed into the side of our house."
Meanwhile, Hayes is trying to count his blessings on Christmas Day. He said the gifts behind the debris are retrieving his cat from the home and knowing he and his partner are safe.
"Thank God we weren't hurt," Hayes said.
He said he's praying for the man in the hospital and his family.
Another neighbor said she had just returned home when the crash happened. She said the collision damaged a portion of her house as well.
Baltimore's crime numbers
In spite of Wednesday's shooting, Baltimore Police have continued to see a decline in violent crime.
As of Wednesday morning, there have been 132 homicides in Baltimore in 2025, compared to 189 at this point in 2024. There have also been 308 non-fatal shootings, compared to 403 last year.
According to the CBS News Gun Violence Tracker in Baltimore, within the past 12 months, there have been 439 people who have been shot, with 59 of them between the ages of 26 to 29, which aligns with the victim from Wednesday's shooting.
And, 229 shooting victims in Baltimore within the past 12 months are younger than 29 years old.
