Family Of July 4th Murder Victim Speaks Out; 4-Year-Old Released From Hospital
WINCHESTER, Va. (WJZ)—Baltimore is still dealing with the fallout of Independence Day crime in the Inner Harbor. The shooting of a 4-year-old boy and the fatal stabbing of a tourist remain unexplained.
Mike Hellgren just spoke exclusively with one of the families touched by the violence.
WJZ spoke to the family of the man who was murdered, stabbed in the neck with a bottle. They say he's the type of man Baltimore wants to attract to the Inner Harbor--a tourist there to spend money. They are outraged and have definite concerns over security.
Joseph Calo's family is still reeling from his murder. The 26-year-old was visiting Baltimore for the Independence Day fireworks at the Inner Harbor when police say a man stabbed him to death with a broken bottle.
In an exclusive interview with WJZ, his loved ones pleaded with the public to help find his killer.
"You know what?" his ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Reilly said with tears. "I was there when his mother found out, and my little girl is not going to have a dad. She had him for a year. That's not long enough."
Calo, who is from Opelika, Ala., had just visited his 1-year-old daughter in Winchester, Va., before he headed to Baltimore.
"The world needs to get back to when you're going to get in a fight, you fist fight, get up and shake it off and go on. No need in shooting, stabbing and killing folks. Just ain't no need for that,"said Mike Dawson, victim's uncle. "It's going to be hard. I drove 1,000 miles to get here where I could help."
"I was the first person that they told that he didn't even make it to the hospital," Reilly said.
Calo's family wants to bring his body home. They want justice and closure for a life needlessly cut short.
"I'm not from Baltimore and I don't intend to go to Baltimore," Dawson said. "Baltimore does not look pretty in my book."
His killing was part of a string of violence incidents that included a shooting of 4-year-old Kavin Benson by a stray bullet that hit him in the leg.
Baltimore City Police are still looking for the person who shot Benson. His father sent pictures to WJZ; one shows the two walking on Light Street just before the boy was struck.
Police suspect it was a stray bullet that narrowly missed an artery.
Kavin Benson was released from the hospital Wednesday and is recovering at home. But Calo will not; his life is gone.
"He was just doing what he always did," Reilly said. "He was just standing up for his brother. Unfortunately, someone had to take it too far."
Calo's family says that the city of Baltimore is working with them financially and logistically to move the body back to Alabama.
A fund has been set up for Calo. Please send donations to:
Fredrick's Funeral Home
C/O Joseph Calo
1801 Frederick Road
Opelika, AL 36801
( 334) 745-4667
If you know anything about either of the incidents, contact police. You can remain anonymous.
