12-year-old killed, 4 adults hurt in shooting at Leon Day Park: ‘Argument between 2 cowards’

A 12-year-old girl died and four adults were injured in a shooting at Leon Day Park on Saturday evening that likely stemmed from an “argument between two cowards,” officials said.

Officers responded to the scene for multiple reports of gunfire around 6:15 p.m., Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said at a news conference.

They found a 12-year-old girl and a 25-year-old woman who had been shot, Worley said. The victims were transported to hospitals, officials said.

The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital, Worley said. The woman is expected to live. Two men, ages 28 and 23, walked into nearby hospitals with gunshot wounds police believe they suffered while near the area, Worley said.

Detectives were notified that a 35-year-old woman walked into an area hospital around 10 p.m. seeking treatment for a graze wound to the back.

The four adults are believed to have non-life-threatening injuries.

“What we know is that there was some type of argument between two cowards, and, of course, they both opened fire on each other,” he said. “In the crossfire, a 12-year-old little girl who was probably down there watching football was shot and killed.”

Worley said police suspect the argument stemmed from a parking spot. No one has been arrested, though, police said.

Mayor Brandon Scott condemned the men who police said exchanged gunfire that led to the child’s death. Moments like this are why, Scott said, not everyone should have a handgun.

“Some people don’t have the mental maturity to have a handgun. Some people don’t have the conflict resolution abilities to have a handgun,” he said.

Scott also said this was the homecoming for the Charm City Buccaneers, a youth football league. Some families still had tents with food and balloon displays set up well after the shooting.

Last month, a 3-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were among a group of seven people shot in East Baltimore. The toddler remains in recovery.

The park is named for Leon Day, the Southwest Baltimore resident who played for the Baltimore Black Sox, a Negro League team, according to Baltimore Heritage. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995, days before his death, according to Baltimore Heritage.

In May, an 11-year-old boy was shot on a playground near Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center. He continues his recovery.

This article has been updated.