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‘Deeply disturbing and deeply troubling’: Baltimore police investigate after 12 are shot, five fatally, Saturday

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Five people were killed and seven others injured in several separate shootings Saturday in Baltimore, police said Sunday.

The violence started early in the morning in East Baltimore with a multiple shooting that killed a 28-year-old woman in East Baltimore and continued throughout the day.

“It goes without saying that the level of violence in the city yesterday was deeply disturbing and deeply troubling,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said.

At about 2:30 a.m., police responded to a reported shooting in the 700 block of N. Patterson Park Ave. in East Baltimore’s Milton-Montford neighborhood. Officers found three women — ages 23, 27 and 28 — suffering from apparent gunshot wounds in a sedan, police said.

All three women were taken to area hospitals, police said, but the 28-year-old woman died soon after arriving at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Harrison said Sunday that the shooting “appears” to have stemmed from an argument that occurred “at a social club” on the corner of East Chase Street and North Patterson Park Avenue. Although Harrison didn’t identify the club by name, there is a bar called Patchase at that intersection.

The three women left the club and entered the sedan before they stopped at a traffic light on North Patterson Park Avenue, Harrison said. At that moment, someone inside “an approaching car” began shooting at the women, Harrison said.

“We haven’t yet fully determined and proven that, but that is what is believed at this time,” he said.

A person of interest has been identified and is wanted for questioning, Harrison said.

A woman in the area, who said she lived on the corner of North Patterson Park Avenue at East Madison Street, told The Baltimore Sun she was in her bedroom Saturday morning when she heard “at least four gunshots.”

“You just have to pray,” she said. “I don’t know if prayers help, but we need prayers.”

The 57-year-old mother declined to give her name, citing safety concerns. She said she moved to the city from her native Jamaica years ago. She said many people come to the area of the shooting on weekends, including some who use drugs.

Later Saturday morning, just after 7, officers responded to the 6300 block of Boston Street in O’Donnell Heights in East Baltimore for a reported shooting. They found a 46-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg, police said. Soon after, a 40-year-old man also suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg arrived at an area hospital, police said.

In another incident, just after 2:30 p.m., police went to the 1400 block of Broening Highway in Medford in East Baltimore and found a man who had been shot. He later died. Police did not provide his age. Homicide detectives were able to identify a person of interest in this case as well “based on citizen’s calls and CitiWatch surveillance video,” Harrison said. That person is also wanted for questioning.

Less than 30 minutes later, a 37-year-old man who had been shot was found in the 1200 block of Druid Hill Ave. in Upton in West Baltimore.

The violence continued Saturday night. At about 7 p.m., a 38-year-old man was found shot in the 200 block of N. Lakewood Ave. in McElderry Park in East Baltimore, police said.

Around 8 p.m., officers found a silver Mercedes-Benz that crashed in the 3400 block of Cliftmont Ave. in Belair-Edison in Northeast Baltimore, Harrison said. The vehicle was riddled with gunshots, Harrison said, and officers found the driver was suffering from multiple wounds. The 37-year-old man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives are working to determine the original location of the shooting in that case, said Harrison, adding they have yet to find any suspects or a motive.

Also around 8 p.m., two male victims walked into Saint Agnes Hospital after a shooting was reported in the 200 block of N. Hilton St. in Saint Josephs in West Baltimore. However, the officers later learned the shooting occurred around the corner in the 100 block of N. Kossuth St., Harrison said.

One of those two victims died. Police didn’t provide his age Sunday. The other, a 26-year-old man, suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said. Their investigation, Harrison said, revealed that the victims were standing in front of a grocery store when “unknown subjects came out of an alley and began shooting.”

There are no suspects at this time, Harrison said, and detectives are still searching for a motive.

Later, around 10 p.m., officers responding to a report of a shooting found a 24-year-old man injured in the 1800 block of Bloomingdale Road in Rosemont in Northwest Baltimore. The victim was found with a gunshot wound to his head, Harrison said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Harrison said, and officers have yet to find a motive or any suspects in this case.

Police on Sunday did not release the names of any of the victims. Harrison said his department “so far” has been unable to find “any connection between the five murders.” The police department, he said, has “redeployed some of our resources” to distribute its SWAT, K9 and traffic units in the “affected areas” of the city.

Anyone with information may contact homicide detectives at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.

Police reported two more shootings Sunday night.

At approximately 6:21 p.m., patrol officers were dispatched to the 3100 block of W. North Ave. in Walbrook in West Baltimore to investigate a reported shooting. When officers arrived, they observed two men, 20 and 21, suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were transported to an area hospital for treatment. Southwest District detectives were summoned to the scene and assumed control over the investigation.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Southwest District Shooting detectives, at 410-396-2488.

At 6:53 p.m., police officers were dispatched to an area hospital to investigate a walk-in shooting victim seeking treatment. Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the walk-in shooting victim might be connected to the West North Avenue shooting.

Other Baltimore Sun staff contributed to this article.