Baltimore shooting leaves 23-year-old woman dead on Mother's Day and her birthday
A 23-year-old woman was shot and killed Sunday morning in Southwest Baltimore in a tragic incident that unfolded on both her birthday and Mother's Day.
The victim, identified as Taniya Gray, was found lying in the backseat of a white Acura on Mountwood Road near Wildwood Parkway, according to police. Gray, the mother of a young daughter, was taken to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
One resident told WJZ that she called 911 after hearing gunshots and discovering that a vehicle had rolled into her parked car. When she looked inside the car, she saw Gray lying unresponsive in the backseat.
Residents said the gunfire shattered the peace of what is usually a quiet community. "It's not normal for things like this to happen so close to where I live at," one neighbor said.
Another nearby resident said the incident has left them feeling uneasy about their family's safety. "I have nephews and nieces who play outside willingly," they said. "So it's like, okay, do I keep my babies in the house, do I sit outside with them, do I move, should I have cameras? It was unlikely for this to happen because it's a friendly neighborhood."
Police responded to the scene shortly after 10:30 Sunday morning and confirmed that Gray was found alone in the vehicle. Investigators have not yet released information about what led to the shooting.
On Monday, detectives canvassed the area along with a K-9 and interviewed potential witnesses as they worked to determine a motive.
No arrests have been made. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact police or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
Violent crime in Baltimore
As of Monday, May 12, Baltimore Police responded to 45 murders in 2025, compared to 61 at this point in 2024. There have been 108 people shot in Baltimore so far this year, compared to 147 during the same timeframe in 2024.
WJZ's gun violence tracker shows that within the past 12 months, 2,500 people in the city have been victims of gunfire, which includes any armed crime where someone is threatened with a gun, even if it wasn't fired.
Within the past 12 months, the victims impacted by gun violence the most are between the ages of 30 and 34.
