BALTIMORE (AP) — A quadruple shooting in Baltimore on Wednesday night left three men dead, including an anti-violence worker — the third such worker to have been killed in the city since last January.
Officers responding to the scene in the East Baltimore neighborhood found four men suffering from apparent gunshot wounds, police said in a news release. Three died and the fourth is expected to survive, police said.
One of those killed was DaShawn McGrier, a Safe Streets violence interrupter, according to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a nonprofit that operates two Safe Streets sites. Outreach workers with the organization mediate disputes in an effort to prevent violence and work to steer young people away from violence.
Living Classrooms spokesperson Meg Ward said McGrier, a hardworking, devoted father, was on his post in uniform, when he was shot, The Baltimore Sun reported. He had been working with Safe Streets for more than a month, attending welding classes during the day and the anti-violence program at night, she said.
“He was passionate about reducing violence in the community and wanted to be a positive part of that,” Ward said. “He was from the community. He wanted the best for his community.”
Mayor Brandon Scott called the shooting “a horrific tragedy.”
“Our Safe Streets workers put their lives on the line day in and day out because they believe in a better future for our city – a future we all should believe in,” Scott said in a statement.
Safe Streets worker Kenyell Wilson was fatally shot in July. And Safe Streets leader Dante Barksdale was shot and killed last January. He had served time in prison and was the nephew of Nathan Barksdale, whose crimes and run-ins with police inspired characters and storylines in HBO’s “The Wire.”
McGrier was also the victim of a 2018 beating by a city police officer caught on video. Former police officer Arthur Williams was convicted of second-degree assault and misconduct in office and sentenced to nine months in prison. McGrier received a $500,000 settlement from the city.
Authorities did not release any details about a possible suspect or say what prompted the shooting.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
