Murder of 17-year-old boy latest violent crime to rattle Towson residents
BALTIMORE– The Baltimore County Police Department tries to curb crime in downtown Towson after a deadly shooting kills a teenager.
The shooting happened around 7:15 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Joppa Road and Delaware Avenue, police said.
That night they found 17-year-old Tre’Shaun Harmon suffers from multiple gunshot wounds. He eventually died from his injuries.
In the days leading up to the shooting, the Baltimore County Police Department took to social media to announce that it was increasing the number of officers in the Central Towson area.
Towson resident Kylie Zimny said she has lived near the city/county line for the past two years and has watched more and more yellow crime scene tapes appear in an area she once thought safe.
“Just knowing it’s only gotten worse and creeping further north the longer I’ve lived here is annoying, you know? You don’t want it to get worse; you want it to get better,” Zimney said.
Now she is trying to move to a safer place.
Last week a man was shot dead near Chesapeake Avenue and Washington Avenue.
Earlier this month was a transgender woman stabbed multiple times after accepting a ride from a stranger near the intersection of Chesapeake Avenue and York Road. This person also slapped her in the face, according to authorities.
Earlier, 28-year-old Quantze Davis sexually assaulted three women at gunpoint right in Towson Circle.
Towson’s corporate sector has scrambled to help the police fight the rise in crime.
The Towson Chamber of Commerce received a state grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development in 2022. This money went towards improving security measures in the region, such as B. Increasing the number of cameras available to catch criminals.
“One thing that sets our community apart from many other communities is that we all work together to solve crimes in this area,” said Towson Chamber of Commerce executive director Nancy Hafford. “We don’t just leave it to the police and investigators.”
The Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police was pinned in May 2022 the crime hotspot in Towson about then-Police Chief Melissa Hyett. The union said it was one of the reasons its members voted to remove Hyatt from their position.
In the list of complaints made to Hyatt management, union officials noted that Hyatt “failed to adequately address the rise in crime in Baltimore County. . . . An example is the recent increase in violent crime at Towson Town Center.
Later that year, County Executive Johnny Olszewski announced the end Hyatt’s tenure as police chief. She was replaced by on December 5th Interim Police Commissioner Dennis Delp.
Although some Towson residents have been shaken by the recent outbreak of violence, others remain hopeful that district leaders and law enforcement officials can bring the violence under control.
“It would be an absolute shame because [Towson has] has a lot to offer,” said Kevin Swanson of Towson. “There are entertainment options, bars.”
WJZ reached out to Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski about the rise in crime. He said his administration plans to take a walk through the neighborhood near and around Towson Circle on Wednesday.