Four young men, all in their early 20s, were shot in the 700 block of Eager Street near Johnston Square. Neighbors we talked to say the violence, especially among young people, has to stop.
”When I was a kid coming up, we didn't do none of this stuff. We had responsibilities. Y'all let kids run wild,” Rico, a resident, told us.
“I hope they learn something from that. I hope they really do learn something,” Maurice Brown, who lives nearby, said.
People who live in this part of East Baltimore were frustrated to hear the news. Around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, police were called here for reports of a shooting.
“When I went home, I heard a lot of shots. But when I came up here, only thing I see is police picking up the bullets off the ground, Brown told us.
Police found a 22-year-old who was shot in the groin. That man is in critical condition in the hospital. Three other men, ages 21, 23, and 24, walked into a hospital with gunshot wounds. They are all expected to be ok.
Police wouldn't tell us the relationship between the victims or if any them was also a shooter. But a neighbor tells us the four men were friends.
We saw a lot of police cars patrolling the neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon.
"But the police are never around when stuff like that happens. But when it do happen, they start riding around. When all of them outside the police just drive right past them, don't say nothing, don't say, 'get off the corner' or nothing," Brown said.
People we talked to say when they were growing up around here, this sort of violence wasn't so commonplace.
“People fought, fight with their hands, then you make up and your friends and you keep going. But there's so much with guns and that sort of thing,” Vonneeter Park said.
“We didn't have this problem. There wasn't no shooting and killing. We might have gotten in a fight. But what they doing is because the justice system lets them get away with it. They need to be held accountable,” Rico said.
We asked people what message they'd have for the four young men if they had the chance to talk to them.
”I would tell them, for one thing, learn manners and respect. It starts within the home."
“Get an education, get a career going, and try to do better for yourself in a positive way. There's a lot of young people that's dying. It's pathetic."
Police say this is still an active investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact Central District Shooting detectives at 410-396-2411.
