Images of the car show evidence where at least two bullets struck the door frame surrounding a window after an unidentified woman stopped her car at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and Post Road in Aberdeen and was ambushed.
"Thank God nobody was struck,” said Lt. William Reiber of the Aberdeen Police Department, “Multiple rounds penetrated the vehicle. The vehicle was occupied by three individuals. There was a female and two small children ages two and four. Potentially this could have been catastrophic in terms of people being struck."
Investigators later learned that two men had apparently been hiding behind some bushes at the corner and stepped out at the last second as the car came to a stop when at least one of the men opened fire at point blank range.
911 callers reported hearing those shots at 6:24pm, and officers searched the area unsuccessfully for about 45 minutes before the victim called in to report what had happened from a nearby convenience store on Route 40.
"People respond differently to tragic, kind of life-altering events,” said Reiber, “I can't tell you why the call wasn't made sooner. Would it have made a difference? I'm not sure, but we always... we implore people to please... when you become the victim of a crime, as soon as you gather yourself, make that call immediately. The faster we can get into the area and begin the investigation, obviously the better chances we have of capturing those individuals."
While police don't believe the shooting was random, they stop short of assuring the public there's nothing to worry about, since the two gunmen remain at large.
"Obviously, we have two individuals that engaged in a very violent act that, quite frankly, could have turned into a homicide. So, I'm concerned," said Reiber.
Following the shooting, the two men fled on foot.
Anyone with information that could help identify them should call the Aberdeen police at 410-272-2121.
