'I'm Terrified' At Least 20 People Shot This Week In Baltimore; Police Identify Victim of Deadly Mass Shooting
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- At least 20 people have been shot in Baltimore City this week, and some believe the violence has spiraled out of control.
67yo Mary lives in West Baltimore. Her blunt message to the mayor and commissioner over violent crime @wjz pic.twitter.com/Wp9epiULoS
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 18, 2021
Baltimore Police helicopter video shows the pursuit of a 16-year-old boy who officers said carjacked a food delivery driver using a semiautomatic airsoft handgun Monday night.
The teen bailed and ran as police pursued him for several minutes.
A police cruiser hit the teenager. Police said he suffered minor injuries. You can watch the full video here:
Mary, who declined to give her last name, is a 67-year-old who lives near the 1200-block of West Lombard Street where a man was shot at noon yesterday. She told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren she is "damn tired" with the violence.
"I feel trapped. I've got arthritis of the spine. I'm supposed to be out every 15 minutes 4 times a day to walk, and I can't do it because I'm scared. I'm terrified," she told Hellgren.
Just one mile from her, 6 people were shot Wednesday. WJZ obtained surveillance video of the response to that mass shooting.
???? Security camera video shows the response to the West Baltimore mass shooting yesterday that injured 5 and killed 1 victim. @wjz pic.twitter.com/zHcH5hO3tl
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) June 17, 2021
The man who died there has now been identified as 59-year-old Leslie Jerome Gibson. A 16-year-old boy shot in the incident has been released from the hospital. Three victims remain in critical condition, and one is stable according to a Friday afternoon update from police.
Police and city council members talked about the crime wave during a Thursday hearing.
"We're not going to arrest our way out of this. You can get all the police you want, but the community cannot be the police. We have to address the underlying issues," said Baltimore City Councilman Robert Stokes.
"We all want the same thing: Safer and healthier communities not just in certain communities but for all," said Lt. Col. Monique Brown of the Baltimore police.
The deputy mayor said police are using mandatory officer overtime to increase patrols.
"We had overtime initiatives in every single police district last weekend," Deputy Mayor Sunny Schnitzer said. "It effectively doubled our patrol strength for our peak hours in each district at least one-night last weekend."
But Mary says, whatever the strategy, it's not working.
Hellgren asked her message to the mayor and commissioner. "I want them to get their s*it together. I mean, you've just got to do something. It's not fair."