Baltimore Funeral Shooting Ends Family Fight: Police

BALTIMORE, MD – Police said a man was shot by his son after the funeral for his other son Tuesday afternoon in west Baltimore, and it may have been over the obituary.

Relatives and friends had gathered at New Song Community Church in the 1600 block of North Calhoun Street for the repast for homicide victim Antonio Addison, 22, who died as the result of a May 5 shooting.

Police allege Addison's 26-year-old brother opened fire on their father in a vestibule at the church recreation hall at approximately 2:15 p.m.

"This is not a random act of violence," Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said. "This is a family dispute that turned violent."

According to police, Tuesday's shooting was the culmination of an argument that had been building up throughout the day.

"Preliminarily, this is as simple as being mentioned in an obituary," Smith said. "This is how a guy decided to settle a beef with his own father."

As a result of the shooting, there were arrests, a hospitalization, large police presence and lockdown, police said.

The 26-year-old suspect was arrested, and many witnesses were also detained, according to Smith. The suspect will not be officially identified until charges are filed.

Due to a gunshot wound to the abdomen, police said the 47-year-old victim was hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

"I really can't even describe how unnecessary and senseless this situation is," Smith said, mentioning that a homicide victim's life was supposed to be celebrated at the event.

Addison was killed approximately 0.5 mile from the church where Tuesday's shooting occurred. An officer on patrol heard gunshots at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, and canvassed the area until finding Addison, who had been shot inside a house in the 1200 block of North Carey Street, police said. He was hospitalized and later died.

On the westside so far this year, there have been 54 homicides and 131 nonfatal shootings, according to Baltimore Police data through June 4.

Police responded in droves to the call Tuesday afternoon at New Song worship center because there was a fear of retaliatory violence connected to the homicide and due to the number of people in the area where the funeral was.

"There were a lot of emotions going on, and we needed a large police presence" to ensure everyone was safe, Smith said.

Schools near the church were placed on lockdown during the police response.

"Fortunately, no one else was injured as a result of this," Smith said.

The Baltimore Police Department has made handgun arrests a priority citywide to stem the tide of violence, at a time when federal officials say a spike in violent crime has been plaguing cities nationwide for the past year.

While many factors contribute to the uptick, a spokesperson for Indianapolis Police told the Associated Press this week that the increasing number of homicides has to do with drugs and lifestyle-related quarrels—"even simple disputes on Facebook"—at a time when "disputes...are being settled through lethal means."

Baltimore had one of its deadliest years on record in 2015, with 344 homicides.

So for there have been 113 homicides and 253 nonfatal shootings this year, which means Baltimore is on pace for a decreased number of homicides (there were 121 at this time last year) and an increase in nonfatal shootings (there were 220 at this time in 2015), according to the latest data available.

.