2 teens injured in Southwest Baltimore shooting
Two teens were injured in a shooting in Southwest Baltimore early Saturday, according to police.
Officers responded to the 600 block of Allendale Street around 2:58 a.m. for a reported shooting, where they found a 17-year-old boy inside a home suffering from a gunshot wound.
The teen was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.
While they were on the scene, officers were made aware that a shooting victim had walked into a nearby hospital.
Officers said a 17-year-old girl was found to be suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
Police determined that both teens were shot on Allendale Street.
"I grew up in the streets, so I know how it is," said neighbor Deontay Flemming. "Things happen, people are in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, it's scary though for your kids to grow up around this type of stuff."
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 410-396-2488 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.
Neighbor reacts to double shooting in Baltimore
Flemming told WJZ it's upsetting to see this happening in his neighborhood, but it's not shocking.
"It makes me feel devastated because I got kids myself," Flemming said. "I got a 7-year-old, she ready to be a teenager in a couple of years. So, it scares me."
After hearing about the shooting, Flemming said he's going to hug his kids a little tighter.
"I don't let them go too far," Flemming said. "I be with her or I take her to the park, I don't let her roam these streets by herself because anything could happen."
"You really ain't going to feel safe nowhere in the city. So it's just you either deal with it or you don't type of situation," said Flemming,
Crime down in Baltimore City
Overall, crime in Baltimore City has been trending down over the past year.
During his State of the City speech on April 21, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said non-fatal shootings were down 28% compared to 2024.
According to WJZ's Gun Violence Tracker, 389 children and teens were victims of gun violence in Baltimore City in 2024. That is a 22% decrease from 499 cases in 2023.
A November 2024 report from the state's Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit found that the number of young people in custody of the Department of Juvenile Services increased in 2024 in all but one of the state's facilities.
Baltimore Mayor Scott details summer crime prevention plan
Saturday's shooting involving two teens came after Mayor Scott shared details for the city's 2025 Summer Youth Engagement strategy, which aims to deter violence.
The 25-week initiative will provide teens and young adults with sports, entertainment and education-based activities during the summer.
The mayor has credited the 2024 youth engagement effort with a 66% drop in the number of shooting victims and a 31% drop in cases of aggravated assault.
"Despite the progress we've made around public safety, I have been clear that we need to double down on our efforts, including to support and uplift our young people," Scott said.
