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Two people have been killed, three left fighting for their lives and 25 others injured in a mass shooting at a block party in Baltimore over July 4 weekend.
Kylis Fagbemi, 20, and Aaliyah Gonzales, 18, were both killed when at least two shooters opened fire in the Brooklyn Homes area of South Baltimore in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Baltimore Police Department said it responded to calls of a reported shooting on the 800 block of Gretna Avenue at about 12.35am on Sunday. Police were unaware that the party was happening until they received emergency calls, and did not have patrols in the neighborhood at the time of the shooting.
Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley confirmed 30 people had been shot in the incident – two of them fatally.
Gonzales was pronounced dead on the scene while Fagbemi was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries.
Among the 28 victims who survived, several were in critical condition and 14 were minors.
The non-fatal female victims injured were one 13-year-old, one 14-year-old, two 15-year-olds, three 16-year-olds, two 17-year-olds, two 18-year-olds, three 19-year-olds, one 20-year-old, one 23-year-old and one 32-year-old.
The non-fatal male victims injured were one 13-year-old, one 15-year-old, two 16-year-old, two 17-year-olds, three 18-year-olds, one 22-year-old and one 31-year-old.
Acting Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley told Fox Baltimore that police believe there were multiple shooters — but did not specify how many — and said no suspects had been apprehended as of Sunday afternoon.
Kylis Fagbemi, 20, and Aaliyah Gonzales, 18, were both killed
(Metro Crime Stoppers)
“We know for sure there are more than one. We don’t know how many (suspects),” Mr Worley said.
Speaking at the scene, Mayor Brandon Scott condemned the shooting.
“This was a reckless, cowardly act that happened here and that has permanently altered many lives and cost two people their lives,” he said.
No arrests were made immediately after the shooting and police remain at the scene. Authorities said the crime scene was extensive and that it would take some time for detectives to work it.
Speaking at the scene, Mayor Brandon Scott branded the shooting a “cowardly act”
(WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore)
“I want those who are responsible to hear me, and hear me very clearly,” the mayor continued.
“We will not stop until we find you, and we will find you. Until then, I hope that every single breath you take, that you think about the lives that you took, think about the lives that you impacted here tonight.”
He asked anyone with information to come forward to assist investigators, saying: “Treat this as if it were your family. How you would want people to treat it if you were mourning, if this was your neighborhood, if this was an event in your community that this happened at. We want you to treat it that way because that’s how we have to treat each other as Baltimoreans.”
Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, of District 10 Baltimore City, wrote on social media: “Our hearts are heavy as we learn about the devastating mass shooting incident.”
She added: “Please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts as we navigate through this tragedy.”
Hundreds of people had been gathered for an event called “Brooklyn Day”, witnesses told WBFF-TV, while others reported to Fox 45 that they had heard 20 to 30 shots fired.
The shooting is the third mass shooting in the US this month, and one of 338 in the US this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as any gun violence incident in which at least four people, excluding the shooter, is injured.
