ANNAPOLIS, Md. — What started as a parking dispute ended in a deadly mass shooting in an Annapolis neighborhood Sunday evening.
Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz, 27, was hosting a block party on Paddington Place to celebrate a birthday.
This resulted in several cars parking along the street in the neighborhood.
Earlier in the evening a neighbor called parking enforcement to complain about cars blocking her driveway.
According to charging documents Mireles Ruiz went over to the neighbor's home to talk about the parking issue.
This led to an argument. Eventually the neighbor's son, 43-year-old Charles Robert Smith, came home.
Things turned physical. That's when police say Smith pulled a handgun shooting and killing Mireles Ruiz and 25-year-old Christian Marlon Segovia.
Witnesses told investigators that Smith stood over Mireles Ruiz, shooting him several more times before retreating back inside his home.
Others from the party came to see what was happening. One of them was Mireles Ruiz's 55-year-old father, Nicholas Mireles, who wanted to help his son.
As party goers formed outside Smith's home, he grabbed a rifle and fired several shots through his front window, leaving Nicholas dead and three others injured.
By the time officers arrived, Smith had his hands up and surrendered. He admitted to shooting the victims, while accusing them of shooting at his home first.
Police wrote in charging documents that no witnesses they interviewed saw the victims with a gun.
Smith's mother also said she didn't see anyone with a gun, but did report hearing prior gunshots.
Police recovered a semiautomatic handgun and long gun from Smith. It's unclear if they were legally owned.
All three deceased victims are Hispanic, police said there is currently no indication whether race played a factor in the shooting.
On Tuesday a judge ordered Smith to be held without pending trial.
Defense attorney Mark W. Howes argued against the decision, claiming Smith was in need of ongoing PTSD treatment with the VA.
