Police Release Little Information After Fatal Shooting At Towson Town Center
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- There are still no arrests after a teenager is gunned down at Towson Town Center in the middle of the holiday shopping season.
Mike Hellgren has the latest on the investigation and the security concerns in the wake of the shooting.
Police have said very little about the actual investigation. They make a point to try to assure people that there is no danger at the mall. But some are calling for more security.
The murder Monday at Towson Town Center at the height of the holiday shopping season has many on edge. The incident follows two unrelated murders at Arundel Mills last month where victims were also targeted and a carjacking at Marley Station earlier this year.
Baltimore County Police say they're actively trying to catch the killer in the Towson case, but have provided few clues on leads they're pursuing.
Pat France says after the shooting, her group will no longer patrol nearby on foot-- only in unmarked cars.
"You could be walking past, and somebody could shoot someone on the other side of the street, and you're done," Pat France, co-chair of the Towson Area Citizens on Patrol, said. "It's not safe. It's not safe."
It's the second murder in Towson since 2005, when a teacher died in a botched robbery.
"The reaction from the Citizens on Patrol and the citizens in Towson was outrage and fear," France explained.
Police say they typically provide more security at the mall during the holidays and have increased their presence since the murder.
"It's important to tell our citizens they're safe when they come to our malls and our shopping centers," Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department said.
The teenage victim had a criminal record but loved ones say he was working to get his life on the right track. The motive behind his killing remains a mystery.
"This was not a random act. Therefore, it makes us feel a little bit better," France said. "I'm expecting that the mall will put forth more security patrols."
Police declined to say whether they recovered the weapon or how many shots were fired. They do say some of their best evidence comes from surveillance videos through the mall's extensive camera network.
The victim was on supervised probation at the time of the murder.
