Baltimore City officials meet over Brooklyn Homes mass shooting, continue search for answers
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore City Public Safety Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the fallout from the Brooklyn Homes mass shooting on July 2.
The hearing was adjourned earlier this month after heart-breaking testimony from the mother of Aaliyah Gonzalez—one of two victims killed during the shooting.
"There were calls endless calls and no one showed up. . . . This didn't have to happen if there were one or two or three patrol calls out there," said Krystal Gonzalez, the mother of Aaliyah Gonzalez.
City leaders continue searching for answers, demanding accountability, working towards finding solutions and reviewing after-action reports from police.
"This is a tragic incident that it is integral that we learn from," said Mark Conway, the city councilman for District 4.
Councilwoman Phylicia Porter says protocols in place weren't followed, "this is a clear aspect of not following the rules and lives are being lost."
"It should have been handled differently and that's what we are going to get to the bottom of as to why," acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said.
The Public Safety Committee addressed what they say is poor leadership, lack of communication, and an overall delayed response, but they also discussed solutions including, increased patrols, a reinvigorated crisis hotline, and heightened communication between the community and city agencies to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.
"There is always more to do and I want to make sure that we don't forget how important these small decisions and opportunities are to learn from mistakes like this are toward our forward progress," Conway said.
Five teens have been charged in connection to the shooting, but police say this investigation is still ongoing. There is an $88,000 reward for information leading to additional arrests.