BALTIMORE — A shooting took the life of 24-year-old Christian Leight, and Tuesday night neighbors in Federal Hill say they are glad the entire altercation was caught on camera.
Surveillance footage shows the moments leading up to the deadly shooting on Cross Street.
“This is the first homicide that we have had in the neighborhood this year," says Nigel Crocombe.
Nadine Bowen says she was shocked when she first found out about the shooting.
“Fist fights are bad enough, and no, I don’t want to see that either, but for the energy out there and the anger to pull a gun, is just too much.” says Nadine Bowen.
The shooting, along with other violent crimes over the summer, had the Federal Hill South Neighborhood Association discussing safety concerns and plans for improvement.
One of the ways they want to help secure neighborhoods and help police solve these crimes is by using cameras.
Nigel Crocombe, who is the public safety chair for the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association, says there is already a system in place called the South Baltimore Camera Network with over 260 homes with cameras and neighbors who are willing to share their footage with police.
He says the association wants more neighbors to join the program so there can be a larger network of cameras.
“We have seen that lead to arrests in a number of high-profile cases that really involve serious high-profile crimes this summer, and when we talk to the police department, that is number one thing that we can do to support them.”
He says if it wasn’t for the cameras outside of the bars near Cross Street, police wouldn’t have been able to have suspects so soon.
“In that case, the police were nearby anyway, but in a big crowd, it's hard to know who the shooters are and things like that. The footage that BPD has released publicly is very clear of the two suspects, the shooter and the accomplice, and I'm cautiously optimistic that will help solve this crime eventually.”
And Nadien Bowen agrees.
“This one, I think they will; they are clear pictures, and people are becoming more motivated to help.”
Another way the neighborhood associations are working to increase safety is by having annual safety walks with Baltimore City Police.
The next safety walk in Federal Hill is scheduled for Friday, September 27th, at 5 p.m.
