Police: Shooting at Annapolis birthday party leaves three dead, three injured
BALTIMORE - Annapolis Police provided an update Monday after a mass shooting left three people dead and three more injured in an otherwise quiet Annapolis neighborhood Sunday evening.
Police were mum on a possible motive Monday, but charging documents reveal a parking issue may have been the catalyst.
Officers responded to the shooting around 8 p.m. at a home in the 1000 block of Paddington Place, near Edgewood Road.
Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said Monday during a news briefing on the incident that the shooting took place during a family's birthday party. Police initially said the shooting happened during a graduation party.
First responders arrived at the scene to find a total of six people shot.
Nicholas Mireles, 55, Mario Mireles, 27, and Christian Segovia, 25, were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Police confirmed Nicholas and Mario are father and son. Also, the three other victims were hospitalized in stable condition.
"This is personal, this is not who we are," Buckley said. "On a graduation day, where you're around family, where you should feel safe -- this kind of violence happened."
Police identified the suspect as 43-year-old Charles Robert Smith. The charging document reveals before the shooting, a parking complaint came in from Smith's mother, that a car was blocking their driveway.
The charging document details that things escalated when Mario went over to talk about the issue with Smith. It reads, after a verbal argument, "Mr. Smith pulled out a gun. He and Mario Mireles tussled over the gun. During the tussle, Mr. Smith shot Mario Mireles."
The charging document also said Smith allegedly also shot a long rifle from his home's window.
A semi-automatic handgun was recovered, and a second firearm, described as a long-gun, was also found. Investigators believe the shooting was an exchange of gunfire.
Annapolis Police Chief Edward Jackson called gun violence a social problem.
"We have to do something to mitigate the use of handguns and the availability of handguns. I mean everything from ghost guns to all types of high-powered weapons, we see it all the time," he said.
Gov. Wes Moore committed to giving all the resources needed to complete the investigation, also vowing to do something on the issue of gun violence in the state.
"This pain is accompanied by purpose, knowing that in response, we will choose to do more than give hearts, thoughts and prayers," Moore said. "That's simply not enough."
Smith has been charged with three counts of second degree murder, first-degree assault, attempted murder, and handgun charges. Smith is being held without bond.
Related: Annapolis shooting leaves three dead, three more injured; person of interest in custody
