'Mind-boggling': Residents concerned after several children shot already this year in Baltimore City

BALTIMORE - We are not even a week into the new year, and already, there have been two minors killed in a shooting in Baltimore City.

Parents, teachers, advocates and community members told WJZ that something must be done to protect the children.

In 2023, there are three murder investigations and 11 non-fatal shootings in Baltimore. Two of those murder victims are minors, and more than half of the non-deadly shooting victims are minors.

"What a way to start the year, right? Baltimore resident Bernice Butler said.

"It's just mind-boggling with these guns and these youngsters losing their lives like this," Baltimore resident Darren Williams said.

Dylan King, an 8-year-old, was killed on December 30 but was added to the homicide count as of January 3. 

The latest city murder was 16-year-old Deanta Dorsey, a sophomore at Edmondson-Westside High School, who was shot and killed while standing in the parking lot outside of Popeyes at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center on Wednesday.

"It's just X,Y,Z amount of murders within five days of the year," teacher Samuel Seymore said. "I mean, when is it going to stop? I never would expect a tragedy like this to happen to any of my students."

Police are looking for two shooters who they say opened fire on Dorsey and at least four of his classmates. 

People want answers and accountability. 

"We can't rely solely on the mayor and council members because it's up to us as people and individuals," Williams said. "Nobody made them shoot those kids yesterday. That's a personal decision to pull a gun out and shoot somebody."

All of the violence, especially involving children, is causing concern for community members. 

"It's getting very dangerous out here," Butler said. "I have an 18-year-old so I worry about him."

"I was just asking a neighbor, it's a wonder that any of us get to where we've got to go every day with all of this going on," Williams said. "I guess 99 percent of us will get to where we've got to go, but it's that 1 percent that will kill you sometimes."