Baltimore parking dispute gunfire kills 12-year-old girl at youth football park

October 4, 2026 at 05:43 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A 12-year-old girl was fatally shot and four others wounded Saturday evening when two men exchanged gunfire during a parking dispute near Leon Day Park in Baltimore, where youth football games were underway. Police Commissioner Richard Worley said officers responded around 6:15 p.m. to the 1200 block of North Franklintown Road and found the girl and a 25-year-old woman with gunshot wounds. The girl died at a hospital, while the four surviving victims were listed in stable condition.

Key Facts

The shooting occurred around 6:15 p.m. Saturday in the 1200 block of North Franklintown Road near Leon Day Park.
A 12-year-old girl was pronounced dead at a hospital after being caught in the crossfire.
Four other victims — a 25-year-old woman, two men aged 23 and 28, and a 35-year-old woman — were treated for gunshot wounds and listed in stable condition.
Investigators recovered two different types of spent cartridges at the scene and were searching for two gunmen.
Charm City Buccaneers coach Mark Brown said the league has operated for 29 years without an incident like this.

The Shooting

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said officers were called around 6:15 p.m. to the 1200 block of North Franklintown Road by Leon Day Park after multiple reports of gunfire. Officers found a 25-year-old woman and the girl with gunshot wounds, and both were taken for emergency care. The girl was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Two men, ages 23 and 28, later walked into hospitals seeking treatment for gunshot injuries, and around 10 p.m. a 35-year-old woman sought care for a graze wound to the back. The four surviving victims were listed in stable condition.

Investigation and Response

Worley said the shooting stemmed from an argument between two men who opened fire on each other, and the girl was caught in the crossfire. Investigators recovered two different types of spent cartridges at the scene and were searching for two gunmen. Mayor Brandon M. Scott called the gunfire one of the most disgusting scenes he had witnessed because the child had been at a homecoming-style event for a youth football league. Police closed North Franklintown Road at North Ellamont Street as homicide detectives took over the case. Anyone with information was asked to call Baltimore Police homicide detectives at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.

Community Reaction

Coach Mark Brown of the Charm City Buccaneers youth football league told NBC affiliate WBAL-TV the shooting broke out mid-game and involved people outside the league. Brown said the league has operated for 29 years without an incident like this. He added that the shooting happened over a parking spot and was avoidable.