A funeral, a melee and gunfire: Neighbors recount chaos outside Baltimore church

A memorial service meant to lay a loved one to rest in Overlea on Saturday instead ended in a heated quarrel that erupted into gunfire and left one person shot.

The funeral, taking place at Open Bible Church, had come to an end just before 1:45 p.m. when a large group of people attending had poured out onto the steps of the front entrance to the church on the 3200 block of West Overlea Avenue.

Within mere minutes the event spiraled into a chaotic scene with dozens of people yelling and screaming on the church steps as gunshots cut through the air. Baltimore Police said responding officers found a 25-year-old man had been shot and medics took him to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The man’s condition remains unclear and what led up to the mayhem remains unclear at this time. Authorities’ investigation is ongoing.

Kevin English, pastor of Open Bible Church, said the service was not run through his organization. The hall of worship was rented out to a family for the funeral of a woman. He was not there at the time of the shooting but arrived shortly after to find out what happened.

Neighbors in the area recall being drawn outside by what they described as a huge commotion.

Steve Stout said he stepped out onto his porch when he saw what felt like 100 people congregating on the street screaming and yelling before they started pushing and shoving one another.

“Then we hear pop, pop, pop,” he said. “It sounded like gunshots.”

Just seconds later, he said a woman in distress walked briskly past hollering about how she had just seen a man get shot.

Video footage from cameras in the neighborhood showed how the situation devolved into a dangerous melee within minutes. Once gunfire erupted, several people were seen running to the corner to aid the young man that was shot.

Some stuck around pacing in a panic while others ran away from the scene, cutting through nearby yards.

Timothy Scruggs, who lives across from the church, was in his driveway changing the oil in his pickup truck with his Shar-Pei, Daisy, when the shots rang out. He instinctively called the dog inside and ran toward his backyard.

That’s when Scruggs said a man carrying a gun with what looked like an extended magazine on it came barreling toward him, trying to run through his yard.

“Get the f*** out of here. I’m not having any of this,” Scruggs said he yelled at the man before running inside to get his own pistol.

Footage that Scruggs shared with The Banner showed the exact moment when the man, holding what appears to be a gun in his right hand and wearing a light-colored shirt and dark pants, ran past his home and up toward the back of the church by Rosemont Avenue.

After police had taken control of the scene some people slowly began to disperse while others stayed behind. Residents returning home from soccer games and errands arrived to taped off streets and police crawling up and down the area. Some weren’t immediately able to get back into their homes and had to go down and around the block to access them.

But by Sunday morning the neighborhood had returned to its normal quietness. The manic sounds of the previous day had been replaced with the hums of birds, ringing church bells and musical sermons emanating from Open Bible Church.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Northeast District detectives at 410-396-2444 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.