Baltimore mothers express fears after shooting near children’s park

Two Southwest Baltimore mothers spoke to FOX45 one day after a 20-year-old man was shot and killed at the Westside Shopping Center.

The shooting occurred around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday evening, directly across from Catherine Street Park, where both mothers take their children to cool off under the sprinkler system.

Latasha, who lives about five blocks away, missed the shooting yesterday due to a random malfunction.

“If the sprinklers had been on, I would have left here around 6 a.m. yesterday,” Latasha said.

She has a toddler, a soon-to-be two-year-old and a four-year-old child.

“My biggest fear for my children is that they will die on the streets at a young age from something they didn’t do,” Latasha said.

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Jocelyn Abrego moved from El Salvador to America, more specifically to Baltimore, for a better life for her children.

“When we go to the park or go shopping, we are always careful,” Abrego said.

“When you come to the United States, you think things are going to be different than at home,” Abrego said.

According to recent figures, there have been at least ten fatal shootings so far in July.

However, according to BPD data, the number of homicides and non-fatal shootings has decreased compared to the same period last year.

So far, 102 people have been killed, compared to 152 last year.