One person was killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting near a funeral home in Baltimore County, Maryland, on Tuesday night, county officials said.
Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said officers responded to a report of shots fired on Loch Raven Boulevard around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. According to Baltimore County Fire Chief Joe Dixon, the scene was near Johnson Funeral Home in the Towson community.
An officer at the scene found a vehicle engulfed in flames. McCullough said it appears the car was involved in an incident that caused it to crash and catch fire, but further details were not available.
The county fire department was contacted and discovered 10 victims in the area – one dead from a gunshot wound and nine injured. The police chief said most of the victims were injured by bullets.
The nine surviving victims were taken to a regional trauma center under unknown circumstances. Details about the victims and their injuries were not immediately available.
McCullough said the department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting, but the incident is believed to be targeted and isolated.
“(It appears) that the individuals in this case knew each other in some way,” McCullough said. “This incident was intentional and targeted.”
No arrests had been made in connection with the shooting as of Tuesday night.
“We will leave no stone unturned and we will devote every resource to this cause,” the chief promised. “We don’t typically see this type of thing in our communities in Baltimore County. This is an isolated incident.”
Responding Baltimore County firefighters were able to knock down the car fire, Dixon said, and provided aid at the scene before transporting the victims.
The fire chief said he was “proud of our responders” and highlighted the partnership between the police and fire departments.
County Executive Johnny Olszewski, who is the elected representative for Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House, was also at the news conference and said he was shocked by the fatal shooting.
“This is an incident that is shocking, especially for those of us in Baltimore County. These types of incidents are unheard of here, so it really shocks conscious people,” he said.
He said the county is “fully committed” to ensuring that both the police and fire departments receive full support and resources during the active investigation.
Tips about the shooting can be submitted anonymously to Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland at 1-866-756-2587 and may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.
(tags to translate)US news(T)Baltimore(T)funeral home(T)Maryland(T)mass shooting(T)shootings
