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Baltimore recognizes one-year mark of Brooklyn Day mass shooting that left 'scars and trauma'

Darcy Costello and Cassidy Jensen, The Baltimore Sun on

Published in News & Features

In the mayor’s statement, Scott added that city staff had built “deep and enduring” relationships in the wake of the mass shooting, through neighborhood stabilization efforts from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and through partnerships with residents and community groups.

“The Brooklyn community — and our city as a whole — will never be the same,” Scott said, adding he hopes the relationships created will “help redefine the story of Baltimore.”

“Deep trauma of this nature is not something we can heal overnight, but I will reaffirm the commitment we made a year ago – we will continue showing up for one another forever,” Scott said. “This tragedy and its impact will forever leave its mark on our city, but in commemorating today’s anniversary, it is the outpouring of love and neighborly support, the determination to make a difference, and the memories of the lives we lost that are filling our hearts today.”

Police Commissioner Richard Worley, in a statement, added that his heart is with “the families, the Brooklyn neighborhood and our entire city that was impacted by this tragedy.”

The department, Worley said, has made “significant progress” in addressing its after-action review, strengthening its relationship with community members and “continually striving to do better.”

“While we have made several arrests of those responsible for this incident, the investigation continues and we are working closer than ever with all our partners to combat violence in Baltimore and to ensure the safety of all who live, visit and enjoy our great city,” Worley said.

Five teenagers accused of participating in the chaotic shootout have been criminally charged; four have pleaded guilty to varying roles. None admitted to shooting anyone, despite four being charged with attempted murder. The two killings, Gonzalez and Kylis Fagbemi, have not been solved.

Two defense attorneys who’ve represented teens charged in connection with the mass shooting told The Baltimore Sun they’re skeptical police will be able to charge anyone with homicide. The attorneys said the police case lacked witnesses who could provide a backstory and relied in part on CCTV footage that showed “mayhem.”

 

“It was a battle zone down there, so it’s difficult to connect one person to a person being shot,” said Warren Brown, whose client, a minor, pleaded guilty to assault. “Even in our cases, it went from attempted murder to first-degree assault because they couldn’t prove they were shooting at any one person.”

Gonzalez’s brother, Shelborne, said he wants to see his sister’s killer caught. But he doubts it’s “realistic.”

“With how crazy Brooklyn Day was with all the shooters, I understand that it’s not an easy task. You just have to have faith and hope,” Shelborne said. “I want them to get everybody that shot a gun that day.”

The police department announced last week it had completed its internal investigation into officer actions or inactions related to Brooklyn Day. Twelve employees were administratively charged and face disciplinary actions of days of docked pay. Two face termination, the department said. The investigative files have not been released, though The Sun has a pending request for the full case.

Without full information, it’s hard to draw definitive conclusions about where lapses were made, said William “Billy” Murphy Jr., who represents shooting victims and families of those affected. Murphy’s firm filed notices of intent to bring claims of negligence and intentional wrongdoing against Baltimore Police and other city agencies. He said in November he believed the mass shooting could have been prevented.

“It will be vital for us to know where all of these people’s misbehavior fits into the overall scheme of things,” Murphy said last week. “Until we know that, this information doesn’t help us to determine what the breakdowns were in this incident.”

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©2024 The Baltimore Sun. Visit at baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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