Member of U.S. Navy gunned down

BALTIMORE - Tucked inside her house on Mallview Road, Betty Saunders heard the distinctive sound of gunfire.

"I was just sitting inside watching tv, and me and my friend heard five gunshots."

When Saunders opened her front door, someone across the street on Marbourne Avenue called out for someone to get an ambulance.

"My oldest son came out, and he was a paramedic in the army.  So he said, 'Get me a towel,' and he ran over to try to put pressure on it and duck his arms in.  He came over and said, 'I don't think he's going to make it.'"

24-year old Alonzo Gladden died a violent death while on leave from the U.S. Navy stationed in Norfolk, Virginia.

Police say Gladden was here to visit family, and he and a relative had just gotten out of their car when they were ambushed.

"They were approached by suspects who had exited a dark colored sedan.  At least one of the suspects who was our gunman opened fire on our victims, and unfortunately our victim died as a result of those injuries," said Anthony Guglielmi of the Baltimore City Police Department, "These things are always hard when it's an innocent victim, coupled with the fact that this victim has served our country and tried to make the United States a better place."

Police don’t know if Gladden knew his killer or if this was a case of mistaken identity, but they do know they have very little to go on and the suspects remain at large.

"The Homicide Section, we've been out this morning canvassing the area trying to find witnesses, going door to door and we also conducted surveillance of the area,” said Col. Garnell Green, “This is a tragic incident.  This person is a member of the military.  We have no indication that he's involved in anything and right now we're asking for the community's help."

While the Baltimore City Police Department is the lead agency, it is working with the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigation Service in the hopes of developing leads in this case.

It is also offering a cash reward of up to 2-thousand dollars for any tip that leads to an arrest and indictment.

Just call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7-LOCKUP