Howard County police are currently investigating a non-fatal shooting incident that occurred inside a popular Ellicott City eatery, the Mint Room. The event unfolded on the evening of Aug. 3, leaving one adult male with gunshot wounds that, while serious, were not life-threatening. In a response maneuver at the scene, officers apprehended 60-year-old Barry Batson of Baltimore, who now faces charges including attempted second-degree murder, as detailed by a Howard County press release.
The call came just before 9 pm, with officers arriving at the Mint Room located on the 9400 block of Baltimore National Pike to find the wounded victim. Suffering from gunshots, the injured man was expedited to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, his condition serious but stable.
While it was taken into custody, a gun at the scene that is believed to be the weapon used in the shooting, it is reported that ongoing tensions between Batson and the victim could have led to this violent encounter, suggesting a domestic dispute as a possible motivator. However, it was a fortunate turn that no other persons were subject to injury amid the evening's chaos.
