Five children were shot, and a 13-year-old boy was killed when several assailants opened fire on a group of young people leaving a party in suburban Baltimore on March 8, according to authorities.
Additionally, a 19-year-old male was wounded in the shooting that occurred early on Sunday. The shooting happened in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Rosedale, six miles northeast of Baltimore. This prompted outrage from leaders in the community.
“This incident of gun violence in our community is shocking and horrifying. It has no place in our community, and we refuse to allow it to become normalized,” stated Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr.
According to local law enforcement, the shooting broke out just after midnight while people were leaving a dance party that took place at the Triple Threat Elite Dance studio in the Kenwood Shopping Mall.
On Monday, investigators were working to identify the shooters. They interviewed witnesses and combed through surveillance video in the hopes of finding a camera that captured the carnage.
“As the victims left the event they were approached by several suspects in the parking lot. An altercation ensued and multiple shots were fired towards the group,” reported a statement from the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to police, 13-year-old Rickie Foreland was killed in the shooting. Two 12-year-old boys, a 14-year-old boy, and a 14-year-old girl were wounded in the gunfire. They were treated at a local hospital. The four teens and the 19-year-old male have all been released from the hospital.
Melissa Hyatt, Baltimore County Police Chief held an emotional news conference on Sunday afternoon. She said: “All loss of life is a tragedy … but having a 13-year-old victim is both devastating and absolutely unspeakable. This level of violence is unacceptable. An adolescent lost his life for some senseless and unknown reason.”
Investigators have not released a motive for the shooting, however, they do not believe it was a random attack. They believe someone has information on the shooters or the shooting and are asking them to come forward.
There is a $2,000 reward being offered by Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland for any information leading to an arrest.
According to witnesses, the theme of the packed dance party was March Madness. As people were leaving the party, shots were fired without any warning.
One witness, who called himself Mailaki, stated, “I just heard ‘boom, boom, boom,’ and then I turned the corner and I see Rickie on the floor. It was scary. I thought I was going to get shot.”
Mailaki stated that he and his friends ran into the woods to find cover as the front window of the Goodwill thrift store near their location was shattered by the Triple Threat Elite Dance studios.
By Jeanette Vietti
Source:
ABC: ‘Shocking and horrifying’; 5 children shot, one dead, outside dance party in suburban Baltimore
Fox: Baltimore-area shooting leaves 13-year-old dead, 5 others wounded in ‘horrifying’ act of violence
Baltimore Sun: ‘We had children that were shot last night’: 13-year-old boy dead, 5 wounded in Baltimore County Shooting
Image Courtesy of David Erickson’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
