BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Two Federal Hill residents said they were jolted awake early Easter morning by gunfire outside their homes along Key Highway, then watched police respond to what became a deadly shooting.
Michael called 911 to report shots fired in the 200 block of Key Highway. “First discharging, 200 block of Key, 200 block of Key Highway, seven. Possibly by a shopping center or parking lot,” he said. He later described what he and his wife heard: “Around two thirty five in the morning my wife and i were woken up by about five to seven gunshots that felt like they were right outside of our window.”
Christina also called 911 about gunshots near Key and Williams. “Second ticket Key and Williams, Key and Williams. Heard four to five gunshots,” she said. She described hearing the shots and her reaction: “I heard pop, pop, hop, pop and I’m just like, oh no.”
ALSO READ | Police investigate fatal shooting of man in Federal Hill early Easter Sunday
When police arrived, a call went out for medical help. “Start me a medic for a number one male. Gunshot wound to the head,” a voice said. Police found an unresponsive man who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting has intensified concerns from the two longtime residents, who said violence has been increasing in the area.
“It’s really gotten out of control,” one of them said. “This is the narrative that keeps happening.”
Michael said he and his wife have lived in the neighborhood for about 25 years and that the stretch of Key Highway has long drawn people who gather at night, particularly on warm weekends.
“My wife and I have lived here for about 25 years, and this block of Key Highway has always been a place where people have come in the evenings on the weekends, especially warm evenings, and partied out of their cars,” he said.
He added, “It’s a no man’s land. And people know that, and people come here to do their things in the dark corners.”
A doorbell camera captured a crowd of people running in the area as a street party was happening just hours before the shooting. Michael and Christina said those parties, tucked into what they described as a quiet neighborhood, could be contributing to the violence.
ALSO READ | Man assaulted, robbed of $20 by four suspects in Greektown on Easter
“More recently, there have be gunshots, where nobody was hit, nobody hurt. And there’s been other ones where people have been shot. I think there was one recently down near the skate park. So we’ve really seen a huge uptick. A violent crime in this immediate neighborhood,” Michael said.
As of Easter morning, no arrests had been made in the homicide. The residents said they want city leaders to respond.
“I would really like our elected officials to take some action,” one said.
“We really need investment in the Inner Harbor, in Federal Hill, Federal Hill Park, along Key Highway. And we’ve been asking for it and maybe this will be the impetus to actually get some more resources we need,” the resident said.
“I think we really need our mayor, our elected officials to step up and deal with this problem. This city is becoming a dystopian disaster,” the resident said.
Local Story
