TOWSON, Md. (AP) — Investigators in Baltimore County are looking into whether a shooting and related vehicle crash that left one person dead and nine injured Tuesday night are connected to a nearby homicide earlier this month.
Officials said all 10 of the victims were found inside a flipped SUV that burst into flames after crashing in front of a funeral home.
A service for Andrew Blessing had wrapped up just hours earlier Tuesday afternoon at a different facility several miles away. Blessing, 19, was shot to death Dec. 9 in the same suburban area north of Baltimore.
Detectives haven’t ruled out a potential connection between the two events, Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. He had previously said that the funeral home appeared to be closed at the time of Tuesday’s shooting.
“At this point, nothing has been ruled out. We are taking a look at all serious crimes that occurred in that area,” he said.
Officials have emphasized that they believe the shooting was targeted and the people involved knew each other.
“We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” McCullough said.
The person who died was identified Wednesday as 26-year-old Charles Graham Jr., and those injured ranged in age from 14 to 27, according to police. Most are teenagers.
Some gunshots damaged the funeral home facade, and police received reports of gunshots in other locations as well, officials said. McCullough described the shooting as “an ongoing, rolling type of gun situation” that began several blocks away and ended outside the funeral home. The flaming vehicle was found on its side when police responded to reports of gunshots.
Eight of the surviving victims suffered gunshot wounds, officials said Wednesday.
“Right now, we haven’t confirmed that it’s gang related,” McCullough said. “We do know that there appears to be at least some rival individuals in this case. And we’re working to try to determine exactly what’s going on here.”
He said the people “may have known the individual Blessing and his family.”
An online obituary for Blessing says his family planned to gather for a visitation and funeral service late Tuesday afternoon. He left behind a daughter and many other relatives.
The shooting was reported around 7:15 p.m. Firefighters put out the vehicle fire and rendered aid to the victims while police began their investigation.
McCullough said detectives are working to get cooperation from victims and witnesses in the case. He said the department would boost patrols in the area, which doesn’t often experience violence.
“We will provide any and all resources to address the situation, to support the those who are working tirelessly to bring justice to those who committed these acts, and to make sure that our community both is safe and feels safe,” County Executive Johnny Olszewski said.
This story has corrected the location of Andrew Blessing’s funeral service.
This video image provided by WMAR shows Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough talking to reporters near there scene where a shooting took place, Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 in Towson, Md. (WMAR via AP)
This video image provided by WMAR shows police and firefighters barricading the crime scene where a shooting took place, Tuesday, Dec 17, 2024 in Towson, Md. (WMAR via AP)
Debris sits outside of a funeral home in Towson, Md., Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, a day after a shooting and a related fiery car crash. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun via AP)
