1 dead, 7 wounded in Baltimore mass shooting

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Multiple gunmen opened fire during a gathering on a East Baltimore street Sunday night, killing one person and injuring seven others, authorities said.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley identified the deceased victim to reporters during a press conference as a 36-year-old man.

He said all but one of the seven injured were men and they all ranged between the ages of 22 and 45.

They were transported to local hospitals in conditions ranging from stable to critical, he said.

Police said the shooting was reported shortly after 8 p.m. EDT in the 1300 block of Spring Street.

Worley described the crime scene as "expansive" and said detectives were "scouring" the neighborhood for ballistic evidence and witnesses as well as for any footage of the shooting that may have been captured.

Multiple firearms were recovered from the scene.

He said it appeared that "multiple people opened fire" on a gathering at Spring Street.

Baltimore City Chief Administrative Officer Faith Leach told reporters that under the direction or Mayor Brandon Scott, the city will be launching community stabilization efforts in the area in the days ahead.

"We will be here," she said. "We will be here in the immediate aftermath of this incident but we will also be here in the long term to address your challenges, your needs and also help the community heal."

Scott, in a statement , said the authorities will work "diligently" to find and hold those responsible for the shooting to account, while calling for stricter gun laws.

"These tragic acts of violence -- which are still too common in our city -- are only possible because of the continued ease of access to guns on our streets," he said. "We cannot acknowledge this tragedy without acknowledging the role that the proliferation of guns plays in endangering our communities."

According to The Gun Violence Archive , which tallies gun violence in the United States, there have been more than 350 mass shootings -- meaning shootings that involve four or more victims -- so far this year.

The shooting comes amid a drop in gun violence across the United States, according to a June report from the Center for American Progress, which found that Baltimore has seen the most significant improvement in population-adjusted gun violence victimization rate this year of the country's 50 most populated cities.

Between Jan. 1 and April 30, Baltimore had more than 16 fewer victimizations compared to the same time period a year prior, it said.