3 Killed In Weekend Violence, Tactical Alert Teams Initiated
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Baltimore City police are on high alert tonight following a huge spike in violence. Three people killed on the streets within hours Saturday afternoon.
Tracey Leong explains how police are responding.
Two fatal shootings and one deadly stabbing are prompting Commissioner Anthony Batts to flood the streets with officers.
"The current pace of violence is outrageous and will not be tolerated," said Commissioner Anthony Batts, Baltimore Police Department.
Early Saturday morning a 36-year-old woman gets in a brawl with several people on the 2800 block of Edmonson Avenue. Police say she suffered fatal stab wounds to the stomach.
Just hours later, a 29-year-old man is found shot in the head on the 3200 block of Elmley Avenue in the Belair-Adison neighborhood. He died from his injuries at the hospital. Police say he is the nephew of City Council President Bernard "Jack" Young.
Then a couple hours later, a 28-year-old man is found fatally shot several times near the intersection of Pulaski and Vine streets.
"It hurts me in my heart for a lot of these young folks that don't even have a chance," said Andre McDaniel.
People in Baltimore reacting to the bloodshed.
"I think there are a lot of desperate people right now," Roy Wallace said.
And Baltimore's mayor taking to Twitter to address the killings saying, "We will continue to put more police on the streets and we will maintain our intense focus on violent repeat offenders."
We will continue to put more police on the streets and we will maintain our intense focus on violent repeat offenders.
— Stephanie (SRB) (@MayorSRB) April 4, 2015
Action the police commissioner took Saturday afternoon, adding extra patrols to increase officers' presence on the streets.
"We are moving quickly and moving in a focused manner to keep the city safe this weekend," Batts said.
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The commissioner believes the rise in crime is related to several factors including nicer weather, students on spring break and it being a holiday weekend--so there are more people out on the streets.
Police do not have any suspects for Saturday's fatal shootings, it is unclear if they are related.
Anyone who knows information is asked to call police.