Va.-Based U.S. Navy Sailor Shot Dead As He Visited Family In Baltimore
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The hunt is on for the person responsible for the shooting death of a United States Navy sailor.
Rochelle Ritchie has the family's plea for justice.
Alonzo Gladden had been in Baltimore for just four hours before he was shot multiple times. Baltimore City police are trying to find and prosecute those responsible.
The family of Alonzo Gladden, 24, said he had a bright future ahead of him as an active-duty member of the U.S. Navy.
"He was just highly intelligent, such a blessing to his whole entire family," Grace Adams, Gladden's aunt, said.
Gladden was in his fourth year of military service when he was killed, not in the line of duty but on the gun-plagued streets of Baltimore City.
"He served his country and to come back like this, wow," Adams said.
It was just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday when Gladden's aunt says her nephew and his brother were about to get out of the car to go inside their grandmother's home at the 3000-block of Marbourne Road.
"I'm still floored, shocked," she said.
The rapid hail of bullets hit Gladden in the chest and head, killing him and stunning neighbors.
"Pop pop pop pop pop pop."
Neighbor David McCartin said that's how the bullets sounded as they were shot out of the barrel of a gun.
"It breaks your heart, especially with a veteran. Guy puts his time and put his time in, comes home and gets shot like that," he added.
Gladden was stationed at the Naval Academy in Norfolk, Va. He was on leave visiting family at the time of his death.
Baltimore City police have spent the day knocking on doors in hopes of finding any leads. They also handed out the flyers offering $2,000 for tips that lead to an arrest.
"There are people out there-- there are family members, relatives and friends of these suspects that know what happened," Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Baltimore Police Department, said.
The family says they are hoping the cash reward will bring in tips and a guilty conscience will bring in the shooter.
"I just wish that whoever did this will come clean, come forward to get the family some closure because he didn't deserve this," Adams said.
Baltimore Police have not said what the motive in this shooting could be. The federal government is now assisting with this investigation.
Another man was also killed in the three other shootings Wednesday night in Baltimore City.
