'Anytime a life is lost, it's trauma': Park Heights residents respond to mass shooting
BALTIMORE -- About 24 hours after a mass shooting in the Park Heights community, the scars of trauma are starting to develop for residents.
A 24-year-old man died and six others were wounded in the shooting, according to police.
"Anytime a life is lost, it's trauma. Anytime blood is spilled, it really opens up any wounds that haven't started to heal," said Steven Johnson, the president of the Pimlico Terrace Neighborhood Association. "This is not a place of death. It's a place of life."
Johnson bought a home in Park Heights after he graduated from college in Kentucky and moved back home to Baltimore. He believes investing in the community is an antidote to violence.
"And so families live here, working people, seniors, retired people, you have people that take care of their lawns. As you look behind you. You could see the time and effort that people put into it to say, Hey, I live here. This is important to me. So Park Heights is a place where people can come and live and not die," said Steven Johnson.
WJZ also spoke to Michael Johnson (no relation to Steven Johnson). Michael Johnson said he moved to Park Heights at 7 years old, and 6 decades later, it's still home for him.
"I've also seen a lot of good people come out of here, doctors and lawyers and engineers and athletes - professional football players...." Michael Johnson said.
Like many life-long residents, Michael Johnson knows this very spot where the seven people were shot.
"Historically, that has always been a place where card games would be held. It was a generational thing, people played spades," said Michael Johnson. "I'm not surprised about the shooting, I'm not surprised about any shooting in Park Heights, based on the fact that the amount of guns that are easily accessible."
The two men who are from different generations are now working in their own way to improve the neighborhood they know and love.
Steven Johnson is also part of an organization called Team F.A.B. which stands for Fight Against Blight. The organization trains young people and then places them into jobs.
Steven Johnson said there needs to be a larger focus on conflict resolution.
"The reality is people don't know how to talk. People don't know how to communicate. So if we can start to develop a foundation where folks have different skills to be able to release those frustrations without releasing them through violence, I think that we've won."