Baltimore enforcing youth curfew after Inner Harbor shooting leaves teens hurt

BALTIMORE — Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is expected to reimpose a youth curfew after two teenagers were shot around the Inner Harbor Sunday night.

Gunshots rang out while police were trying to break up a fight on E. Pratt Street, involving about 250 younger aged people.

As police were arresting one person related to the brawl, two teenagers in the crowd, ages 14 and 16, were wounded.

Both were taken to the hospital, one in critical condition.

Police chased down a potential suspect on a dirt bike, who ended up riding into downtown police headquarters.

Investigators are still unsure if the 17-year-old operator had any role in the shooting.

Meanwhile a second suspect who matched a witness description was located near the intersection of E. Lombard and Light Streets.

That individual, who is 16-years-old was in possession of a loaded ghost gun, and police are now considering them a person of interest in the double shooting.

"This leads to a larger issue," said Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. "That young people would, number one, have ease of access to these firearms and use them indiscriminately, shooting people within 50 feet of 25 to 35 police officers who are in the block."

This is the second incident police have responded to over the last week for large juvenile gatherings at the Inner Harbor.

As result Scott said a juvenile curfew would be implemented by Memorial Day Weekend for the first time since the summer of 2018.

"We're going back to the old days. We will be enforcing a youth curfew in Baltimore as we move into the latter spring and summer months," said Scott. "Note to parents. Know the curfew law. If your young person is under the age of 14, they need to be off the street at 9pm. And for those up to 17 years-old, that's 10 pm. We are not going to have young people be shot when they're out here by themselves."

So far this this year, 27 teens have been shot in Baltimore City, five of them deadly.

The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police reacted to the news by blaming Scott and Harrison for the ongoing crime.