Brooklyn Homes Mass Shooting: 2nd Suspect Arrested After Dozens Shot At Party, Police Say

Patch reporter Megan VerHelst wrote this story.

BALTIMORE, MD — An 18-year-old has been charged in connection with a mass shooting at a Baltimore block party that killed two young people and injured more than two dozen others, according to police.

Tristan Brian Jackson was taken into custody and charged with more than 50 counts related to the shooting, Baltimore police said in a news release. He faces seven counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, seven counts of attempted murder, and 41 related charges, police said.

"BPD has been working tirelessly on the investigation into the critical incident that occurred... in Brooklyn Homes," Acting Commissioner Richard Worley said in a statement. "While this arrest cannot undo the damage and trauma caused that day, it is my hope that it can bring some peace and justice to the families of all the victims and the Baltimore community."

The shooting occurred on July 2 just after 12:30 a.m. when at least two people opened fire at a party in the southern part of the city, according to authorities. Worley previously said it wasn't clear if the shooting was targeted or random.

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The shooting victims ranged in age from 13 to 32 years old, and 15 were minors, police said.

Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene and Kylis Fagbemi, 20, died at a hospital, according to police.

Jackson was wearing an ankle monitor from an unrelated case in juvenile court when he arrived at the Brooklyn Homes block party and joined the crowd, which grew to several hundred people in the hours leading up to the shooting, according to police.

The teen fired a handgun at a group of partygoers, according to charging documents, but the papers don't specify whether the bullets from his gun injured anyone. Police said at least three people shot into the crowd, turning the annual neighborhood summer celebration into a scene of terror and bloodshed.

Detectives said GPS data from his ankle monitor corroborated his location at the party. They said he was also caught on surveillance video firing five rounds at a group of seven people who were fleeing in the opposite direction.

It was not immediately clear whether Jackson had an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Jackson is the second teen to be charged in connection to the shooting. A 17-year-old was also arrested and faces multiple gun charges in connection with the incident. Patch is not identifying the teen because he has not been charged as an adult.

The attempted murder charges come after more than a month of scrutiny of the Baltimore Police Department's response to the scene.

Residents of south Baltimore's Brooklyn Homes public housing complex had called the police hours before gunfire broke out, saying the party was getting out of hand and some attendees were armed with guns and knives. But a "catastrophic breakdown" in communication led to inaction from officers until it was too late, officials said at a public hearing following the shooting.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the investigation into the shooting continues despite this week's arrest.

"We've been clear from the beginning that we will not rest until those who committed this horrific act of violence are held accountable," Scott said in a statement.

He continued, "And our commitment to the safety and well-being of our residents remains unwavering. We will continue to come together as a community to support one another in the face of this unprecedented tragedy and build a safer, more resilient Baltimore."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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