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Boyfriend Charged With Attempted Murder In Shooting Of 17-Year-Old Girl

REISTERSTOWN, Md. (WJZ) -- New details and an arrest in the case of a 17-year-old girl shot in the face in a Reisterstown neighborhood.

Derek Valcourt explains police say there's more to the story than the victim first told them.

Police say the 17-year-old girl made up the story about getting robbed in order to cover up what really happened.

Chaos erupted in a normally quiet Reisterstown neighborhood around 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. That's when Baltimore County Police responded to a home on Danbury Court, where 17-year-old Donnisha Burgess had been shot in the face.

Neighbors watched as police and medics swarmed the area.

"I saw a young lady come out of the house with blood all over her, but she walked out. She walked out of the house and they got her into an ambulance," said Amy McCaffrey.

Police say, at first, the 17-year-old girl told them she was on a nearby street when a robber shot her in the face after stealing her cell phone.

Police now tell WJZ the victim made up that story to cover up what really happened inside the house where she lives.

"The victim and the suspect were arguing over a gun in the basement of a home in the 100 block of Danbury Road," said Cpl. John Wachter, Baltimore County Police. "During that argument, the gun was discharged and the victim was struck in the head. The victim made up the incident to protect the suspect."

The home is a rental. No one inside would speak with WJZ, but we found small amounts of blood on a minivan parked out front.

Concerned neighbors don't know what to make of the shooting so close.

"Anything can happen today. You just got to keep your eyes peeled," one man said.

Linwood Omar Smith, 19, is charged with attempted first degree murder and assault. Police say Smith is the boyfriend of the victim.

He is being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

The victim remains hospitalized in serious condition. Her gunshot wound is not considered life-threatening.

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