Citizen alerts officer to deadly shooting near Hippodrome, Baltimore's second homicide of 2024

BALTIMORE -- One person was shot and killed near the Hippodrome Theatre on the west side of downtown Baltimore early Thursday morning. 

A citizen flagged down an officer saying a person had been shot at 12:09 a.m.

"Head towards the Hippodrome and check that location. Let me get some more units towards the Hippodrome," police said in dispatch calls reviewed by WJZ. 

Shell casings were found on Eutaw Street across from the Hippodrome near an ATM. 

Police would not confirm reports the victim may have been robbed while using the ATM. 

"It's honestly heartless. It's just really sad and devastating that a family has to lose yet another person, especially in the city," said Infiniti McClain, who lives nearby. "It seems like it's a continuous routine, and it's sad because it seems so natural these days where you hear about it and people just shrug it off, where it's just another day, another death. It's really devastating."

Police tracked the suspect using the many cameras in the area but have not announced an arrest or released the identity of the victim, who reportedly was shot in the chest. 

"I do have to watch my back and look around a bit before I even do anything," Danielle, who was using the ATM Thursday afternoon, told WJZ. "It's really scary to have to watch your back everywhere you go."

In May 2022, a man was shot outside the Hippodrome while a performance was underway inside.

The homicide on Thursday was the second of the year in Baltimore. The first homicide was January 2 in the first block of North Bentalou Street.     

A staffing shortage in the police department is another major challenge. A new class of officer recruits just graduated, but it is not enough to stem the losses.

"I just signed numerous letters yesterday to offer an incentive to officers who have left over the last three years to come back, but even if we hired 500 new cops today, we are not going to see any residual effect of it for all of 2024," Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said on Wednesday.

If you know anything about Thursday's homicide downtown, you are asked to call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-Lockup.