Councilman Cohen asks BPD for extra security following double shooting in Canton
BALTIMORE -- Two men were shot in Canton near O'Donnell Square just as the neighborhood's bars were closing early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
Officers on patrol in Southeast Baltimore learned of the double shooting at 1:57 a.m., police said.
They found a 25-year-old man and 32-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds in the 1000 block of South Potomac Street, according to authorities.
The 25-year-old man had been shot in the back while the 32-year-old man was shot in the torso, police said.
City Councilman Zeke Cohen said in a social media post on a chat group for Canton residents that he had spoken to Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Michael Harrison and Maj. Anthony Smith about the shooting.
Cohen said that investigators believe that a fight broke out between two groups of people.
During the fighting, someone "picked up a gun and shot two people in the opposing group," Cohen said. Both gunshot victims are in stable condition, he said.
At this time, police believe "they have a strong lead on the suspect," he said.
Cohen blasted the behavior behind the bullets that caused chaos in O'Donnell Square Park, one of Canton's popular bar and restaurant areas.
"People's inability to manage conflict combined with the ready availability of guns is a horrific mix," Cohen said.
The city councilman said he has asked police for an "increased presence in O'Donnell Square in the early mornings/late nights on the weekends" to prevent future violence.