Baltimore community still healing a year after mass shooting at Brooklyn Day Block Party
BALTIMORE -- The Brooklyn Homes community in south Baltimore is continuing to heal nearly one year after the worst mass shooting in the city's history.
On July 2, 2023, two young adults were killed and 28 other people were injured during the unpermitted Brooklyn Day Block Party.
"The Brooklyn Homes mass shooting has left deep scars for all of Baltimore, but especially for that community in south Baltimore," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said.
Community comes together
Aaliyah Gonzalez and Kylis Fagbemi were killed and a neighborhood was left aching.
"We just want the perpetrators to be caught," John Young, Aaliyah Gonzalez's uncle, told WJZ's Jessica Albert. "The person that shot my niece in the head, we need to know who they are."
Five suspects were charged in the shooting. Aaron Brown, 18, and, Tristan Brian Jackson, 18, along with three minors, were charged with attempted first and second-degree murder.
However, no one has been charged in the direct killings of Gonzalez and Fagbemi.
Residents, agency partners and stakeholders in Brooklyn Homes and the broader community are working with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE) to co-host a Brooklyn Healing and Wellness Event on Tuesday, July 2 exactly a year since the shooting.
The event will bring together mental health services, employment resources and other wraparound support to help residents continue to recover from the trauma caused by the mass shooting.
"You'll be held accountable"
A 173-page "after action" report, released in August 2023, found some police supervisors failed to do their jobs, ignored what was going on around them and did not call for reinforcements.
The Baltimore Police Department is looking to fire two of its employees and discipline 10 others for their response.
"I hope that everyone not just in BPD but across city government sees that if you don't do your job, you'll be held accountable period," Scott said.
The employees' names and the circumstances of the violations were not disclosed.
Fifteen employees were investigated, including a captain, two lieutenants, four sergeants, three officers and five staff members.
Seeking justice
Gonzalez's family believes more needs to be done, but they believe justice will prevail.
"We're trying to hope and have some faith that soon somebody will be held accountable for Aaliyah's death," Young said.
Gonzalez's family will host an event on July 2, focusing on continued healing, wellness and remembrance.
You can learn more by visiting here.
