Two unrelated shooting incidents, including one that left a victim in critical condition, took place about 12 hours apart in Essex and Dundalk last night and this morning, respectively, Baltimore County police said.
Police responded to the first shooting in Essex in the 500 block of Compass Road around 5:41 p.m. Tuesday. According to police, the victim invited a friend into his home. A fight broke out inside the home when the friend brought additional men that the victim did not know, police said.
One of the unknown men produced a handgun and fired at least one shot, which struck the 26-year-old victim in the upper body, police said. The victim remains in fair condition at a local hospital as of 2:21 p.m. today, police said.
Police said the suspect was discovered and later arrested in Pennsylvania following an overnight investigation by detectives. His name won’t be released, pending extradition to Baltimore County, police said.
Twelve hours later, police responded to a call at the 1600 block of Manor Road in Dundalk around 5:35 a.m. Police said that the victim was walking to his vehicle in the alley behind his home when he was shot at least once in the upper body by an unknown assailant.
The victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. As of 2:25 p.m. today, the victim remained in critical condition, police said.
Police said they are continuing to investigate the motive of this shooting, but already believe that the victim was the suspect’s intended target.
—Billy Owens