BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: An 18-year-old high school graduate is among the victims, who died after a brutal mass shooting at a Baltimore block party on Sunday, July 2. Baltimore police officers noted that they responded to the scene at around 12.35 am after receiving multiple calls of a reported shooting in the 800 Block of Gretna Avenue.
Upon their arrival, officers found one woman dead and multiple other people suffering from gunshot wounds. The 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzales was pronounced dead at the scene while 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi was pronounced dead after being taken to a local hospital, police said. A further 28 people, ranging from the ages of 13 to 32 years old, were left severely injured after the shooting. Nine of the injured were taken to hospitals directly from the scene, while the remaining twenty victims walked into various hospitals in the area. 15 of those injured were under the age of 18, Baltimore Police Acting Commissioner Richard Worley said in a Sunday afternoon news conference, CNN reports.
Who was Aaliyah Gonzales?
Not much is known about Gonzales but a devastating post made by her mother Krystal revealed that she recently graduated from high school. Krystal’s account also revealed that the family was residing in Laurel but they originally belonged to New Jersey. Following Aaliyah’s death, her grief-stricken mother remembered her by sharing a slew of pictures, capturing her graduation celebration. “MY BABY!!! Worst day of my life! I cannot do life without her, I NEED HER!! Why would they do this to a perfect angel. I love you so much, baby. I didn’t get there fast enough. God this is a mistake!!! Please!!” she wrote in the post caption. Hundreds commented on Krystal's post sharing their condolences.
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A number of police officers remained in the area for several hours after the incident, continuing investigations behind police tape in the middle of a cluster of two-story apartment buildings. Worley said “at least two” suspects opened fire during the shooting but authorities are investigating there may have been more. “All we know right now is that we had multiple (shooters) open fire on a large crowd of people who were out during the block party. We don’t know if they were targeted or if (the shooters) were just shooting indiscriminately down the street,” Worley said. Authorities have not shared information about a potential motive.
‘This was a reckless, cowardly act’
One witness previously revealed that during the block party, people had been mistaking the sound of fireworks. "The shots were just going on and on and on," Nelson told the Baltimore Sun before adding that two women walked up to her and stated they had been shot. "I kinda didn't believe them at first because they were walking up the street. I said, 'Show me,' and the girl was like, 'I was shot in my butt,' she said, adding 'When she turned around, I saw the hole through her shorts." Nelson helped the woman into her car and drove to the nearest hospital. Mayor Brandon Scott condemned the shooting, "This was a reckless, cowardly act that happened here and has permanently altered many lives and cost two people their lives, I want those responsible to hear me, hear me very clearly: We will not stop until we find you. And we will find you."
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