Violence Continues in Baltimore Despite COVID-19 Fears

Across the United States, quarantine restrictions are beginning to loosen and with them, violent crime is on the rise. In Baltimore this weekend, five people were left dead and seven injured after a series of shootings happened across the city, signaling a grisly start to the warmer summer months. With many cities in Maryland only designating police for higher-level crimes, it’s no wonder that many criminals are trying to take advantage of the lower numbers of officers to commit violent acts with less fear of reprisal. 

Despite this violent start to May in Baltimore, one thing that many Americans are seeing less of as the year rolls on are mass shootings, perhaps due to the rules against public gatherings and private parties of more than 10 people. Residents of Baltimore are no strangers to these all-too-common tragedies that happen regularly on American soil, as 2019 was an especially violent year for the city. 

A saddening effect of these mass shootings upon the rest of the world is that they do not seem immune to this rising public safety threat, especially considering the slaying of 22 people in Toronto, Canada that happened on April 19th. While quarantine may have slowed down mass shootings in America, the violence is far from over in Baltimore. 

It is disconcerting to think of what will happen once the COVID-19 restrictions are completely lifted and people can return to business as usual. After all, if we’re looking to avoid another shooting like the deadly one in Las Vegas, public safety needs to remain a constant topic of discussion even after the pandemic has ended. 

Adam Williams, a founder of a Vegas firm that deals with a surge of violence-related lawsuits and resident who remembers the shootings well, hopes that Baltimore can avoid another tragedy like this weekend’s violence. “As a personal injury attorney, I’ve seen my fair share of gun injuries, and I hope that once the pandemic is over people can return to normal and feel safe in Baltimore.”

It’s not likely that the gun violence in Maryland will slow down anytime soon, but at least quarantine has given us all a break from the constant mass shootings.