Witnesses describe what transpired before mass shooting in Baltimore City
• By: David Collins, WBAL-TV 11 August 20, 2024
• A heavy police presence remains in East Baltimore nearly 24 hours after shots rang out near a park in the Oliver neighborhood.
• Around 8 p.m. Sunday night, 36-year-old Anthony Martin was killed, and seven others were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds after a mass shooting, investigators said.
• After police left, Roca and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement worked the neighborhood, offering resources and support.
• According to witnesses, the mass shooting started as an argument over a parking spot. It happened after a motorcycle gang gathered to remember a member who died in a balloon launch, witnesses said. Then, according to witnesses, a fight broke out.
• “One individual moved a cone and wanted his girlfriend or wife to park there. And that’s when it all started. It exploded,” said Chareese, a witness.
• Chareese said everyone was in a circle. She anticipated trouble and called 911.
• “We called 911 to report it,” Chareese said. “We called twice. I even put in a 311 complaint — I said there was a disturbance and noise in the community, and we are trying to keep the community clean.”
• Detectives spent most of Monday looking for witnesses and surveillance footage. 11 News counted eight cameras near the shooting scene alone and a Ring camera near the parking spot where the argument broke out.
• “I’ve never seen nothing like this all my life,” Chareese said. “I’ve lived here since birth, so it was very disturbing.”
• With the exception of Martin, all victims are now in stable condition. Investigators believe multiple people fired weapons. They found multiple firearms at the scene.
• Despite the crime scene, life goes on in Oliver. 11 News saw kids playing basketball Monday around the police tape. Neighbors said historic Oliver is a stable neighborhood.
• “Just last Sunday, they had a good giveaway in the park. Yesterday morning, before this event, they had a clothing drive giving away clothes to the community. There’s a lot of good things going on in the community — I feel like this event may overshadow all of that,” said someone who lives in the neighborhood.
• MONSE and Roca spent the rest of the afternoon knocking on doors, offering traumatized neighbors support and resources. They also started a 45-day engagement with the neighborhood.
• “To engage with the community, to share letters with phone numbers, email addresses and resources — to let people know we are here to have a presence,” said Stephanie Mavronis, director of MONSE.
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