A quiet Tuesday evening in Gwynn Oak turned tense when a Baltimore County teen was shot in the lower extremity after a firearm went off while a juvenile relative was handling it, police said. The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. on June 11 on the 6700 block of Brompton Road. The injured juvenile later showed up at a local hospital, where the teen was treated for a non-life-threatening wound.
Police account
Detectives are now sorting out how two juvenile relatives ended up with the gun and how it fired. One juvenile told officers he had found the firearm several days earlier and said he was handling it when it discharged and struck his relative, investigators told FOX45. According to police, adults in the home learned of the injury the next day and then contacted authorities, kicking off the formal investigation.
State safe-storage rules
Maryland law makes it a misdemeanor to store or leave a loaded firearm where a person knew or should have known an unsupervised minor could gain access, per the text of Maryland Code §4-104 as published by Justia. The statute carves out exceptions for supervised access, unlawful entry, and certified hunter-safety use, and lawmakers this year introduced bills such as House Bill 1608, detailed by the Maryland General Assembly, that would impose stricter storage requirements. That legal backdrop is likely to guide investigators and any charging decisions as prosecutors review the case.
How neighbors can help
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call Baltimore County detectives at 410-887-4636. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Metro Crime Stoppers, authorities noted.
Legal implications
If investigators determine the firearm was negligently stored or left accessible to minors, the adult responsible could face misdemeanor penalties under the state statute, including fines and other sanctions described in the code. Lawmakers debated bills this session that would expand storage mandates and increase penalties, a change that could affect how similar incidents are handled in the months ahead.
