Investigation underway after a driver is shot in Towson, police say

Baltimore County Police are responding to a shooting that happened along York Road in Towson Friday afternoon.

A driver traveling northbound on York Road just before the circle was shot around 3:20 p.m., Joy Lepola-Stewart, a spokesperson for the Baltimore County Police Department, said in an email. The driver was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, Lepola-Stewart said.

Police are searching for a suspect.

Community members received a public safety message that read, “Shooting Just Occurred at York Road Northbound at the Circle Avoid the area. Police activity Updates to follow.” Several major eateries and businesses line the area.

The Maryland State Highway Administration advised motorists of police activity and closures near the circle in downtown Towson and advised them to look for alternate routes.

Towson University officials referred questions to county police. Officials shared on social media there would be a press staging area at 610 York Road.

Andrea Dixon, the owner of The Crafty Therapist Corner, often gets anywhere between 100 to 200 people visiting her tent at Feet on the Street, a monthly summer pop-up shop and concert along Pennsylvania Avenue put on by the Towson Chamber of Commerce.

She said she wasn’t sure such a crowd would turn out Friday evening after someone was shot in a car nearby.

“When we found out what happened, it was a little concerning,” she said. ”You’re just like, ‘What’s happening and will it spill over?’”

Around a dozen buses were stalled on East Joppa Road as police responded to the shooting. Yellow tape looped around the Towson circle. Right outside Playa Bowls, the driver’s side door of a gray Kia with New Jersey plates was dotted with at least a half-dozen bullet holes. Steps away, small business owners lined Pennsylvania Avenue with their tents and products, some completely unaware of what had unfolded hours before.

Earlier Friday, Baltimore City police responded to a shooting at about 2:37 p.m. in the 4500 block of York Road.

In that incident, officers found a 39-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound, city police said in a news release. He was transported to an area hospital and listed in critical but stable condition.