BALTIMORE — The Edmondson Village Shopping Center is known as the spot where a mass shooting ended with a 16-year-old boy dead, but that’s not what one developer sees.
Even after Wednesday’s devastating incident, one Chicago based developer sees the potential and is more determined than ever to close on this property and get the renovations started.
RELATED: 'It's a big vision': Edmondson Village Shopping Center long overdue for makeover
"This makes this more urgent, instead of running away and abandoning our plan, this makes us want to really lean into this,” said Lyneir Richardson, Chicago Trend CEO.
Richardson is the CEO of the development company Chicago Trend and he's been in the works of buying the Edmondson Village Shopping Center. He says he sees the need for strengthening the neighborhood and coming up with new programs that will reduce violence in and around the shopping center.
"Security and safety cameras, patrols, but also youth programming job creation opportunities, mentoring opportunities role modeling opportunities, it's all of that,” said Richardson.
He says this is a focus of his company.
"Our company was formed to strengthen commercial corridors and shopping centers in majority Black communities. So, this emboldens us [so] that we got to do it more and we got to do it quicker,” Richardson stated.
Two unidentified suspects opened fire on Wednesday on five students from Edmondson Westside High School who were standing outside Popeyes during lunch. Police identified the 16-year-old who was killed as Deanta Dorsey.
RELATED: Deanta Dorsey's family calls for justice following his death in mass shooting
Four others between the ages of 17 to 18 were also shot.
Councilman for District 8, Kristerfer Burnett, says it takes a community working together to bring changes.
"There's not going to be a solution that doesn't involve the businesses, that doesn't involve the school, that doesn't involve the community all in collaboration. There's no change I’ve ever seen in the city or anywhere else that has not been a collaborative effort and there's no one person that's responsible and no one person that can fix this,” said Burnett.
Just before the new year, the state of Maryland awarded Richardson a grant to help reduce crime in the area. He is looking to close on the property in 60 days.
WMAR does not have information about the conditions of the other victims as of Thursday night.
Students will return to class at Edmondson Westside High School Friday for a half day, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at noon. Baltimore Public City Schools says the focus will be on counseling and support.
