Two dead and 28 injured at Baltimore block party

Home*Cover Story*International

Two dead and 28 injured at Baltimore block party

Two people have been killed and another 28 injured in a shooting in the US city of Baltimore, Maryland, police say.

A spokesman said that three people remained in a critical condition.

The incident happened just after midnight (05:00 GMT) in the Brooklyn Homes area, where people had gathered for an event called Brooklyn Day. There are no details about suspects.

More than a dozen of the victims were aged under 18, the city’s acting commissioner reported.

Officials have said that more than one assailant opened fire at the celebration.

The motive behind the shooting is still unclear and police have appealed for people to come forward with any information about the incident.

“This was a reckless, cowardly act that happened here,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told a news conference.

“We will not to stop until we find you and we will find you. Until then I hope that with every single breath that you take that you think about the lives that you took and you think about the lives that you impacted here tonight,” Mr Scott said.

“It again highlights the impacts and the need to deal with the over-proliferation of illegal guns on our streets and the ability for those who should not have them to get their hands on them and also of the need for accountability on each and every level when you’re dealing with guns and gun violence,” he added.

A police statement confirmed that one 18-year-old woman was found dead at the scene while a 20-year-old man died after being taken to hospital.

As of Sunday afternoon, 19 of the wounded had been released from hospitals while nine remained, some in critical condition.

Acting police commissioner Richard Worley reported that the victims’ ages ranged from 13 to 32.

“This was a huge crime scene. We’re talking about multiple blocks,” he said,

“Our officers continue to scour the very large crime scene.”