Neighbors rush to help teenagers shot in Owings Mills: 'I saw the fear in his eyes'

Baltimore County police are searching for the person who opened fire on two teenagers in Baltimore County on Thursday.

The broad-daylight shooting has shaken the quiet Owings Mills neighborhood, and neighbors recounted to WJZ how they worked to place tourniquets on the 16-year-old and 19-year-old victims. 

Helping the victims 

Sharon Jackson heard the three shots—one right after the other. 

"Boom, boom, boom," she told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. 

This violence unfolded steps from her front door on Simonds Drive in Owings Mills around 6:30 Thursday night.

First responders arrived within minutes, but by then, Jackson and her neighbors had already rushed outside to stop the teenage victims from bleeding. 

The youngest collapsed in front of Jackson's townhome. Video shows his shoes sticking out next to the front of a parked SUV.

"It was heart-wrenching. All I could think of was I saw the fear in his eyes, and he really couldn't believe what's happening to him," Jackson said. "He said, 'I can't believe this is what's going on.'  I told him, 'Just calm down. Calm down, baby. You're going to be OK.' He tried to get up and stumbled literally in front of my home. By then, the paramedics came, but yeah, it's heart-wrenching because it could be any of our children."

Jackson, a mother of five and a pastor who has lived in this community for more than 20 years, said the 16-year-old victim was bleeding from a gunshot wound to his arm. 

The 19-year-old had been shot in his chest and his leg. 

"When I ran over there, he was on his face—the 19-year-old—and you could see the gunshot wound was in his chest," Jackson said. "The youngest one—he's hollering out and screaming. But the one that was the oldest was laying down. He wasn't saying anything."

She said he was breathing but could not speak when paramedics arrived. 

Jackson believes the shooting was targeted, and she will never forget the youngest victim, who immediately called his mom. 

"He said, 'I'm scared. I'm scared. I can't breathe.' So, we were just trying to say, 'Just calm down, calm down,' and then we kind of tied up his arm where he was shot," Jackson recalled. 

$2000 reward being offered for information

Baltimore County police tell WJZ Investigates the shooting was "an isolated incident between known individuals."

A $2,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Those with tips may call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-Lockup or contact authorities.

Police said the 16-year-old and 19-year-old victims remained in serious but stable condition as of Friday afternoon. 

A normally quiet area, residents say

Neighbors told WJZ the quiet, residential area never sees violent crime like this.

"We don't want this to become something that becomes normal, and when you put guns in anyone's hands, anything could happen," Jackson said. "Our children—when they're not protected like that—it's scary. It really is."

Another neighbor, Joana Winningham, told WJZ that while crime can happen anywhere, her family will be extra vigilant. "Our kids had to sleep together because they were a little afraid to go to sleep last night, and so this definitely weighs on you. I hope they are able to catch the person and bring justice to those who were injured," Winningham said. "And I hope this doesn't hit our neighborhood again."