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19-Year-Old In Critical Condition After Being Hit By Stray Gunfire

LAUREL, Md. (WJZ) -- A 19-year-old woman is recovering after being hit by a stray bullet in a Laurel neighborhood.

The usual silence that's typical on Canterbury Riding in Laurel was broken late Sunday evening.

"They were very loud bangs. At first, it sounded like somebody just banging on the wall from where I was in the house, and that point I realized that those were gunshots," Vernetta Copeland said.

Copeland, like other homeowners, were shocked to learn of the barrage of bullets that were fired just feet from their homes.

Police say one of those stray bullets struck a 19-year-old innocent bystander who was walking from her car.

"It concerns us as an agency and, of course, it concerns the community," said Sherry Llewellyn with Howard County Police.

The woman was rushed to Shock Trauma and is reportedly in critical but stable condition.

So far, police have been told by witnesses that a group of young men was seen running from the neighborhood after the shots rang out.

Police are now counting on more tips from the community to help identify the suspects.

There's still remnants of the crime scene in the neighborhood. Residents told WJZ they heard about seven or eight shots being fired.

Amazingly, there were no other injuries, but at least one other bullet did do damage elsewhere.

"Police were scouring the area and knocked on my door and told me that the car had been hit," Copeland said.

A single bullet hole pierced the front panel of the driver side door.

Others in the neighborhood are hopeful for the 19-year-old woman's recovery and that police are able to make arrests soon.

"I was surprised because it's quiet. We don't have that kind of activity," Cheryl Stevens said.

Police are offering a $1,500 reward for information that may lead to an arrest.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.

Those who live in the area with home surveillance or doorbell cameras are also asked to contact police.

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