South Baltimore Sees 6 Times as Many Homicides in April Than March

By Andrew Michaels - May 3, 2022
Court | Daily Stories | Featured | Homicides | Non-Fatal Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

The southern district of Baltimore City saw nearly six times as many homicides in April than March, with homicides increasing in four of the city’s nine districts.

The leap from two reported southern district homicides in March to 11 reported homicides in the same district in April was largely responsibly for the city’s overall monthly homicide count increase from 23 to 32, according to Baltimore Witness.

There was an approximate 450 percent increase in homicides in the southern district in April, which saw the most homicides in a single day on April 3. Two out of the four homicides occurred within two miles of each other in the Westport and Lakeland neighborhoods.

Baltimore Police Department officers arrested 34-year-old Karl Wallace nine days later on the 500 block of E. Baltimore Street in connection to the Lakeland homicide that claimed the life of 22 year-old Troy Gross.

Police said the fatal shooting was the result of a verbal dispute.

Only one other arrest was made in another fatal shooting on April 14 when 52-year-old Daniel Pitts was shot in what police said occurred after a possible road rage incident.

An unidentified 17-year-old boy is accused of Pitts’ murder.

Homicides also increased in the northern district from zero to one, the northeastern district from one to three, and the northwestern district from seven to eight.

The remaining five districts either saw a slight decline in April homicides or maintained the same homicide count as the month prior.

The western district decreased from four to one homicide; the central district decreased from one to zero.

The homicide count in the eastern and southwestern districts remained the same at three from March to April, while the southeastern districts homicide count remained at two.