UPDATE: Mass shooting at block party leaves one dead in Salisbury

SALISBURY, Md. – Police are conducting a homicide investigation after a shooting injured six people, and claimed the life of one minor at a block party early Wednesday morning.

On July 5th at around midnight, the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office responded to Chippewa Boulevard around Kiowa Avenue for a reported shooting.

During the investigation, the police found multiple victims suffering from gunshots. One of the victims, a 14-year-old boy, was taken to TidalHealth where he later died. The other six have non-life-threatening wounds and are recovering at the hospital.

This is an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 410-548-4890.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore released the following statement on the shooting:

“In just a few days, two mass shootings in our beloved state have taken lives and ripped at the fabric of our communities. I grieve with the victims in Salisbury and their loved ones, as well as the community that has lost one of their own. To those who are hurting: My heart is with you.

I would like to thank our first responders who rushed to the scene, and I am confident that law enforcement will bring those who committed this vile act to justice. I spoke earlier this morning with both the county executive of Wicomico and the mayor of Salisbury. I will continue to stay in close contact with local officials and authorities and will assist in every way possible.

These incidents show that this scrounge of gun violence is not something that any one community or any one group is wrestling with. Whether you live in a big city or a small rural town, these tragedies impact all of us—the families who are no longer whole during holidays; the parents who don’t get to see their kids graduate; the siblings who lose their best friend.

I speak for everyone when I say, again, that we have had enough. My administration will not stop in our mission to prevent tragic acts of violence like the one we have witnessed.”

Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano also released a statement Wednesday afternoon:

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and our community. Tragedies like this, especially those that involve the death of a child are inexcusable. I would like to personally thank the brave men and women at our Sheriff’s Office who not only worked the crime scene, but who are working diligently to apprehend the suspect(s). I want to also thank Governor Wes Moore for personally reaching out to me this morning offering assistance in any way.

Public Safety is top priority of the citizens here in Wicomico County, as well as my administration. We will keep working with local and state officials, as well as law enforcement, to keep our citizens safe and prevent such events from occurring.”