A quiet stretch of Reisterstown Road in Baltimore's Woodmere neighborhood turned into an active crime scene Friday night after gunfire sent a 32-year-old man to the hospital. Officers rushed to the 5400 block near the Hilltop Shopping Center, where crime scene tape soon stretched across two streets and an alleyway as detectives worked to piece together what happened.
Gunshots Reported Late Friday Near Strip Mall
According to WBFF, officers were sent to the area around 11:09 p.m. Friday after gunfire erupted near the shopping center. Police said they found the 32-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds, and he was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, per the station's report.
A separate account from the same outlet described a different version of events at the same location and date, reporting that three people — a 22-year-old woman, a 28-year-old woman, and a 29-year-old man — sustained gunshot injuries in what it called a triple shooting around 10:05 p.m. in the 5400 block of Reisterstown Road. The available reporting does not clarify whether these accounts describe the same incident or two separate shootings, and Hoodline is presenting both versions as reported.
Evidence Scattered Across Parking Lot
Investigators documented several cartridge casings scattered across the Hilltop Shopping Center parking lot, the same report notes. A crime lab technician was seen photographing the scene, while detectives assigned to the Baltimore Police Department's Northwestern District spoke with officers and bystanders as the investigation unfolded. The other account similarly described cartridge casings and other evidence recovered from the lot, and added that gunfire appeared to have damaged the windows of a beauty supply store at the center.
Officers used crime scene tape to shut down the two streets and the alleyway in order to protect the evidence while the investigation continued into the night. No suspect information, motive, or arrest has been reported in connection with the shooting.
Detectives Ask Public for Tips
Northwest District detectives are asking anyone with information to contact them at 410-396-2466 or reach out to Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup, the outlet reported.
The Hilltop Shopping Center has been the scene of gun violence before. A 2018 shooting there led to the death of Walter Paige after an argument with Karl Peck while the two were parked at the shopping center, according to capitalgazette.com. Officers in that case recovered a single .38-caliber shell casing from the scene, and Peck was later found guilty of manslaughter and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence.
