TOWSON, Md. — Authorities in Baltimore County are investigating whether a recent shooting incident, which resulted in one fatality and nine injuries on Tuesday evening, has any ties to a homicide that occurred earlier this month in the same vicinity.
According to officials, all ten victims were located within a flipped SUV that caught fire following a crash in front of a funeral home. This event took place shortly after a memorial service for a 19-year-old victim, Andrew Blessing, concluded at a different venue several miles away. Blessing was shot and killed on December 9 in the suburban area located north of Baltimore.
During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough confirmed that detectives have not dismissed the possibility of a link between the two incidents. He mentioned that the funeral home seemed to be closed when the shooting occurred. “At this point, nothing has been ruled out. We are carefully reviewing all serious crimes that transpired in this area,” McCullough stated.
Authorities have conveyed their belief that the shooting was a targeted attack involving individuals who were familiar with each other. “This does not seem to be a random act of violence,” McCullough reiterated.
The individual who lost their life has been identified as 26-year-old Charles Graham Jr., while the injured parties, who range in age from 14 to 27, include mostly teenagers. Some gunfire also impacted the facade of the funeral home, and police received additional reports of shots fired in other nearby locations. McCullough characterized the incident as “an ongoing, rolling type of gun situation” that initiated several blocks away and culminated outside the funeral home where the flaming vehicle was discovered on its side by responding officers.
Of the surviving victims, eight were reported to have sustained gunshot injuries. “At this time, we cannot confirm if this is gang-related,” remarked McCullough, who added, “We are aware that there may have been some rivalries involved in this case, and we are diligently working to understand the full scope of the situation.”
He further suggested the possibility that the individuals involved might have had connections to Blessing and his family. An online memorial for Blessing indicates that his family had organized a visitation and funeral service on Tuesday afternoon, with Blessing leaving behind a daughter and numerous family members.
The shooting incident was first reported at around 7:15 p.m. Firefighters extinguished the vehicle blaze and aided the victims as police initiated their investigation. McCullough noted that detectives are attempting to secure cooperation from victims and witnesses in this case, emphasizing that patrols in the locality, which typically experiences low levels of violence, would be intensified.
“We will dedicate all necessary resources to confront the situation, support those tirelessly working to bring justice to the perpetrators, and ensure that our community remains safe and feels secure,” stated County Executive Johnny Olszewski.
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The article has corrected the location of Andrew Blessing’s funeral service.