Baltimore neighbors call Douglass Homes shooting that injured 3-year-old boy "disgraceful"
A 3-year-old boy remains at the hospital in serious but stable condition after she and six other people were shot Wednesday night on the Douglass Homes property in East Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Police Department.
A police officer heard the gunshots around 9 p.m. and responded to North Caroline and East Fayette streets, where officers found several people, including the child, hurt.
Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the officers put the 3-year-old boy into a patrol vehicle and rushed him to a hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Police initially provided conflicting information about the child's age and gender, first identifying the child as a 3-year-old boy, then as a 4-year-old girl, before later confirming the child was a 3-year-old boy.
The other six victims were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Their ages are 16, 18, 20, 20, 21 and 43. Police said some of the victims have since been released from the hospital.
"I have no idea what these cowards were thinking," Worley said Wednesday night. "It was a group of people. They opened fire indiscriminately. They had no idea who they were shooting at."
$7,000 reward for information
Mayor Brandon Scott sent a firm message to the person, or people, behind the trigger, telling them to turn themselves in.
"Everybody in the goddamn city should be looking for you," Scott said. "There is no way, no beef, no amount of argument not anything that can legitimize this kind of act."
Now, detectives are working to identify the number of shooters involved. They're looking at cameras in the area that might have captured what led up to the shooting.
Metro Crime Stoppers is also offering a $7,000 reward for any information that could help lead to an arrest in the case.
"Turn yourself in. Seven people and a child, disgraceful."
Disappointment sits at the corner of North Caroline and East Fayette streets, as neighbors recount the large crime scene Wednesday night.
"I think I heard about eight shots." neighbor Yvonne Robinson said. "I was on the porch, on my porch. It scared me."
"Seven people got shot last night? What!" said another neighbor, Timothy Hodge. "What is going on with the world, man?"
Several people felt strongly about the shooting, saying there's no reason for violence. Some were shocked, saying they've never heard of a shooting of that caliber in the neighborhood.
"I've never heard that, seven people?" Robinson said. "Acting like we're a mob around here."
"These days, you get in a fight, they actually want to kill you," said Hodge.
Thursday, police officers were seen patrolling the area by car and on foot. Though, neighbors said that's a normal practice to ensure safety in the area.
"Turn yourself in. Seven people and a child, disgraceful," Robinson added.
Maryland Moms Demand Action also reacted to the shooting, calling it a "heartbreaking reminder of the crucial work still ahead."
"Baltimore has made incredible, historic strides in reducing gun violence by committing to a community-led public health approach coupled with real accountability for perpetrators of violence, but no number of lives saved lessens the pain of a night like last night," Chaplain Denise Reid, an organization volunteer, gun violence survivor and Baltimore resident, said in a statement. "We cannot slow down, and we will keep working hand in hand with our leaders and partners in Baltimore until no parent has to worry about their child being caught in the crossfire."
