Gang Retaliation Fuels Bloody Weekend in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Md. (WJZ)-- Gang retaliation is responsible for another bloody weekend in Baltimore where at least 19 people were shot.

Eight people were injured in one shooting Saturday, including a 3-year old girl. Police say it was revenge for another shooting involving gang members.

Investigators say three gang members plotted the violence on East Preston Street in the Johnston Square neighborhood. Retaliation for a triple shooting that happened just weeks before.

Related Story: Click Here

One man was killed, two women were shot, one of them pregnant in that incident early Labor Day morning.

"It's a tennis match of violence. It's literally back and forth, back and forth," said Baltimore Police Spokesman T. J. Smith.

Marion Daughton and Tonisha Johnson were arrested in that Labor Day shooting. Police say both women are members of the Bloods gang.

Smith says this weekend's violence is part of a dangerous cycle.

"You shoot somebody. You don't kill them, they come back to shoot you or shoot an associate of yours," said Smith.

Gang expert Dr. Ted Sutton tells WJZ shootings like this are hard to end.

"It starts to just start a cycle that is really hard for people to just stop when the community doesn't feel comfortable everything with the police to stop this," said Dr. Sutton.

"I know we know who's doing the killings," said Councilman Carl Stokes, who represents the Johnston Square neighborhood.

He says the community wants to come forward, but they're afraid.

"They themselves, the community, don't want to be the target or victims of these people," said Stokes.

Police are now asking for help to stop this cycle. Investigators say they have gotten some tips from the community, but still need more help.

All eight people are expected to survive. Four people were killed in multiple other shootings across this city this weekend.

Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook