Baltimore County Police are investigating the fatal shooting of two children in a Gwynn Oak home.
Police Chief Robert McCullough said officers responded around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday to a house in the 6100 block of Talles Road. Officers found a 9-year-old and a 15-year-old, who appeared to be brother and sister, dead from gunshot wounds.
The chief said the childrenβs parents called police to the home. He described the shooting as an isolated incident but said police were searching for a suspect.
βAt this time our homicide unit has responded to the location and we right now have an ongoing homicide investigation,β he told reporters Tuesday evening.
Unusual tragedy
Talles Road, a residential street lined with trees and single-family homes, was quiet Wednesday. A mail carrier made deliveries, trash cans sat on the curb and birds chirped overhead. Residents described the neighborhood as peaceful, close-knit and diverse.
Many are seniors who have lived in their homes for decades. They said theyβd never seen anything like the violence that broke out the night before. Few recalled ever seeing the children who were killed.
At the home where the shooting occurred, toys were strewn in the grass and the blinds were drawn. The only visible sign of the previous nightβs violence was two bullet holes in the homeβs siding.
Lawrence Waller, 74, who lives on nearby Robin Hill Road, drove by the house in his pickup truck Wednesday morning. He recalled hearing police and ambulance sirens around 7:30 the night before. βI want to know how it happened because itβs unusual,β he said.
Neighbors said they were heartbroken to learn two children had been killed on their street.
βWhat could happen? Who could get that angry?β said Margie Talley, a 78-year-old who lives a few doors down.
Alice Greene, 91, who lives behind the home, was out gardening on her deck Wednesday morning. A resident since 1977, she said the only problems she usually encounters in the neighborhood are deer that eat her plants. Greene said she spotted nothing unusual on her doorbell camera footage from the night before.
McCullough, the countyβs police chief, said he felt for other children who may have known or played with the young victims.
βIβve seen a lot of things in my career. But this is something thatβs horrific. Itβs tragic. Itβs something that doesnβt happen in this community here,β he said Tuesday night.
The chief declined to say whether there were signs of forced entry. βWe continue to investigate this,β he added. βWhat I do promise you is that we will put every resource and every effort to try to solve this crime.β
Asked if any weapon was found, McCullough said police hadnβt obtained a search warrant at the house. He declined to say whether anyone else was inside the house at the time of the shooting, but said police were βlooking for a suspect.β
The chief acknowledged being shaken by the shooting.
βI will tell you that, you know, you remember every child. And itβs not only children, but even young people. Itβs just even more tragic because itβs unnecessary loss of life. These are two lives that have been snuffed out,β he said.
Detectives with the homicide unit are pursuing leads to identify a suspect, said Trae Corbin, a department spokesperson. Anyone with information should contact detectives at 410-887-4636, he said.
Banner reporter Clara Longo de Freitas and Banner editor Norm Gomlak contributed to this story.
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.