'It's Heartbreaking' 7 Shootings, 22 Robberies In Baltimore Over Weekend; Several Shot In Vehicles
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore police responded to seven shootings over the weekend. Four people died from Friday to Sunday in the incidents.
The victims include 37-year-old Tyrone Walker who was shot in the 200-block of Loudon Avenue of Irvington—a neighborhood in Southwest Baltimore.
Dorothy Cunningham is president of the Irvington Community Association.
"The neighbors started calling me. That's when I came to the front door, and I saw all the activity," Cunningham told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "They said they heard at least ten gunshots. When I looked, there was the police, the ambulance, the fire engine, and the man was dead in his car."
That shooting happened at 8:28 p.m. It was one of two shootings that happened within 15 minutes of each other across the city Sunday night.
Police said Denard Hunt, 31, was also shot in a vehicle near Bel Air Road and Sinclair Lane. He died at the hospital.
Two hours later, police reported that a 25-year-old man shot at an unknown location.
On Saturday, police reported that a man had been shot to death in the 1900 block of Wilhelm in Carrollton Ridge. Hours later, a man was shot in the chest in the 2400 block of Washington Boulevard.
On Friday, police said Rickie Crenshaw, 27, died after being shot in his car in the 1100 block of East Lanvale.
Also on Friday, police said an 18-year-old man was shot at an unknown location.
"It's ridiculous. Something has to be done," Cunningham said. "I never thought I would live to see the day that crime would be so bad in this city. It's heartbreaking. You barely can bring your kids outside to play."
The killings come just days after police commissioner Michael Harrison released his crime plan, which calls for 300 additional police overtime hours in each district, each week throughout the summer.
Dante Boyd grew up in Irvington and spoke to us near where Tyrone Walker was killed Sunday. He did not know him, but he also says Baltimore must stop the violence.
"Baltimore is crazy right now. All I can do is keep my city in prayer," he told Hellgren. "Every day I wake up and it's all around us. This ain't just around here."
He said he fears for his own young children and wants the city to open more recreation centers to give kids something to do and keep them out of trouble.
"I don't want my kids being another number, another statistic," he said. "All I can do is pray and hope something better happens."
There have been at least 146 homicides and 289 non-fatal shootings in Baltimore so far this year. Both numbers are slightly above the 141 homicides and 281 non-fatal shootings at this time last year.
Last week, Mayor Brandon Scott wrote a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan. He asked for more resources and invited him to visit Baltimore for a firsthand look at crime-fighting efforts.
Police also announced they made several arrests last weekend including four for robbery, 14 for handgun violations, one for murder and one for attempted murder.
They said 22 people were victims of robbery over the weekend.
