BALTIMORE — As Baltimore gets a stronger grip on the deadly pandemic, the ongoing gun violence epidemic is cutting young lives short almost everyday in the city with two teens being the latest victims.
Neighbors say the 19-year old was shot multiple times on York Road but they're speaking to a bigger issue. Tuesday morning's shooting is one of nearly 20 shootings in July's first week alone
More makeshift memorials, more crime scenes and more broken hearts as we near summer's midpoint in Baltimore.
Citizens are frustrated, it's more of the same.
"Each year no matter who it is, no matter what government it is or something like that it's the same thing," said David, a York street resident.
The latest victims of deadly gun violence, two teens. One was an 18 year old who was shot in the head Tuesday morning near West Pratt Street.
He was pronounced dead shortly after.
The other 19, who was shot multiple times on York road right across the street from where David and Cierra live..
We showed them WMAR-2 News daily shooting tracker where the numbers are climbing fast for the month.
"It just hurts. It could be your brother, your friend, your cousin, uncle, anybody a bullet takes. The bullet doesn't have a name on it," Cierra said,
After showing Thiru Vignarajah the shooting tracker he noted, "These are happening all hours of day and all parts of the city. yes you've got shootings at 1 am but you've also got them at noon at 11:45 in the morning 3:45 in the afternoon."
As a former federal prosecutor he called the numbers this month so far fearful.
"It's scary. it's starting to seep into the psyche of every community, not just cherry hill or federal hill. It's every neighborhood all across Baltimore that this feeling that this is not a safe place to raise our children it's not a safe place to have our families," said Vignarajah
Ladies enjoying a day with their kids at Federal Hill park weighed in on the city's latest violence spree after we showed them the tracker.
"My shock is that I'm not shocked enough. that's how i feel that it's not surprising that that would happen," Linda Ataifo said.
"It's really overwhelming to think that there are so many people that were involved in such violence," added Cristina Carter,
"When you think of freedom you think about safety and the freedom to be able to walk where you want to walk, go places and if you're concerned about being attacked violently as you're walking through the city how free do you actually feel," she added.
I think the people of Baltimore are afraid that we're about to have a summer of violence just like the summers of the past. they deserve a concrete crime plan," Vignarajah said addressing the gun violence.
"The mayor and governor need to get on this and try to stop this gun violence. right now they're not doing anything," said David.
Simply put, the folks that we spoke to hope the city can get a hold on gun violence so that more young lives aren't cut short.
