Murder of 17-year-old boy latest violent crime to rattle Towson residents
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore County Police Department is trying to curb crime in central Towson following a deadly shooting that killed a teenager.
The shooting happened near the intersection of Joppa Road and Delaware Avenue around 7:15 p.m. on Monday, police said.
On that night, they found 17-year-old Tre'Shaun Harmon suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He eventually died from his injuries.
In the days leading up to the shooting, the Baltimore County Police Department had touted on social media that it had increased the number of officers in the Central Towson area.
Towson resident Kylie Zimny said that she has lived near the city/county line for two years and watched more and more yellow crime scene tape pop up in an area that she once thought was safe.
"Just knowing that it's only gotten worse and crept up more north the longer I've lived here, it's upsetting, you know? You don't want it to get worse; you want it to get better," Zimney said.
Now, she is trying to move to someplace safer.
Last week, a man was shot near Chesapeake Avenue and Washington Avenue.
Earlier this month, a transgender woman was stabbed multiple times after she accepted a ride from a stranger near the intersection of Chesapeake Avenue and York Road. That person punched her in the face, too, according to authorities.
Prior to that, 28-year-old Quantze Davis was charged with sexually assaulting three women at gunpoint right off of Towson Circle.
Towson's business sector has made an effort to step up and help police address the crime spike.
The Towson Chamber of Commerce was a recipient of a state grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and community development in 2022. That money went toward improving security measures in the area, such as increasing the number of cameras available to catch criminals.
"One thing that's different about our community than a lot of other communities, is we all work together to solve crime in this area," Executive Director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce Nancy Hafford said. "We don't just leave it to the police officers and the detectives."
The Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police in May 2022 pinned the crime spike in Towson on then-Police Chief Melissa Hyett. The union said it was one of the reasons its members voted to remove Hyatt from her position.
Among the list of grievances with Hyatt's leadership, union officials noted that Hyatt had "failed to adequately address the rise in crime in Baltimore County. . . . One example is the recent increase in violent crime at the Towson Town Center.
Later that year, County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced the end of Hyatt's term as police chief. She was replaced on Dec. 5 by interim police chief Dennis Delp.
Although some Towson residents have been rattled by the recent bout of violence, others remain hopeful that county leaders and law enforcement officials will be able to get the violence under control.
"It would be an absolute shame, 'cause [Towson has] got a lot to offer," Towson resident Kevin Swanson said. "There's entertainment venues, bars."
WJZ reached out to Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski about the rise in crime. He said his administration plans on doing a neighborhood walk through near and around Towson Circle on Wednesday.