Teen killed, 6 injured in mass shooting at Salisbury block party
BALTIMORE -- A 14-year-old boy is dead and six others injured after a mass shooting at a block party overnight in Salisbury, authorities said.
Police responded shortly after midnight Wednesday to Chippewa Boulevard near Kiowa Avenue, where they found seven shot, the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office said.
The teenager was transported to an area hospital, where he died. The remaining victims were hospitalized with injuries considered non-life-threatening, police said.
Officials could not confirm any arrests and said the investigation was active and ongoing Wednesday morning. No further information was immediately available.
The fourth and fifth of July have the most mass shootings of any day of the year in the United States, according to a newly released CNN analysis of the Gun Violence Archive's mass shooting data since 2014.
Around the same time west of Salisbury, in Washington, D.C., nine people were wounded in a drive-by shooting, including a 9-year-old.
Four days ago, two people died and 28 people were wounded in a mass shooting at a block party in South Baltimore. There were further mass shootings over the holiday weekend in Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Shreveport.
Gov. Wes Moore said he spoke Wednesday morning with both the county executive of Wicomico and the mayor of Salisbury. He pledged in a statement to work toward preventing gun violence.
"In just a few days, two mass shootings in our beloved state have taken lives and ripped at the fabric of our communities," he said. "I grieve with the victims in Salisbury and their loved ones, as well as the community that has lost one of their own. To those who are hurting: My heart is with you."
"Whether you live in a big city or a small rural town, these tragedies impact all of us—the families who are no longer whole during holidays; the parents who don't get to see their kids graduate; the siblings who lose their best friend," Moore continued. "I speak for everyone when I say, again, that we have had enough. My administration will not stop in our mission to prevent tragic acts of violence like the one we have witnessed."
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown released this statement:
"Another heartbreaking tragedy in Maryland. Another young life taken in yet another mass shooting, this time in Salisbury. A 14-year-old boy's life was struck down and six others were wounded during a celebration that was ripped apart by gunfire. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, to Salisbury, and to our State. No one should ever experience this fear and pain. We should not grow numb or complacent. We must not allow for this to become "normal." I stand with you and promise to do all that I can to make our communities safer for all."
Anyone with information on the shooting in Salisbury is urged to call the sheriff's office at 410-548-4898. Those wishing to stay anonymous can contact Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.
