Fatal Victim of Maryland Mass Shooting ID'd: Was Violence Related to Teen's Homicide Days Before?
“We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said at a press conference on Dec. 18
“We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said at a press conference on Dec. 18
The person killed in what police called a mass shooting in Maryland on Tuesday, Dec. 17, has been identified.
Charles Graham Jr., 26, was pronounced dead at the scene in Towson, Md., where responding officers found multiple victims near a vehicle “engulfed in flames,” around 7:15 p.m. that day, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said at a press conference on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
McCullough said that eight other people appeared to have had gunshot wounds, while a ninth appeared to have been hurt, but not by a gunshot. All of the wounded victims, who are between the ages of 14 and 27, were transported to area hospitals, according to McCullough.
Police referred to the incident as a mass shooting and are investigating what led to the vehicle crashing with all 10 victims inside.
Related: 1 Dead and 9 Others Hospitalized in Maryland ‘Mass Shooting’
“We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” McCullough told reporters while also saying that investigators are not ruling out the possibility that the incident was retaliation for a recent fatal shooting that occurred in the same area.
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The shooting McCullough is referring to claimed the life of 19-year-old Andrew Blessing on Dec. 9, per a police press release. No arrests have been made in connection with the case.
“The Andrew Blessing homicide occurred not far from yesterday’s shooting and it's an ongoing investigation,” McCullough said. “At this point nothing has been ruled out.”
The Tuesday shooting also remains under investigation and police have yet to make any arrests.
Authorities are urging the public to contact police with any information related to the incident by calling 410-887-4636 (INFO).