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9-year-old among 13 shot over weekend in city

Posted at 7:43 AM, Sep 14, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-14 07:43:18-04

This weekend's rash of gunfire comes after a relatively calm week in the city; there have already been more than 230 homicides this year. 

Thirteen people shot and five people dead.  That's the casualty count after a violent weekend in the Charm City.

"It's one of those things that shocks the conscious," said Baltimore City Police Spokesperson, T.J. Smith.

He’s talking about the double shooting that happened just before 10 p.m. Friday on Barclay Street.  Officers don't have a lot of information, but a 9-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet and 45-year-old Kirk Butler was killed.  Family at his house Sunday had no comment.

"Sometimes there's bad guy on bad guy violence, and it's never acceptable,” Smith said.  “But when children are in the midst of something like this, that's a problem for all of us."

Investigators say Butler appeared to be the target of the attack.  Officers are now hunting for the triggerman or shooters.

"If you don't get them off the streets that one bullet is still going through people's lives, that bullet is still ricocheting if we don't come together as a community,” said Daphne Alston with M.O.M.S.

The bloodshed didn't stop there.  More people were shot and more lives lost.  Many people who live in these neighborhoods say leaning on faith might help with the out of control violence.

"I'm confident that if we begin to take a vested interest in each other that it would turn our community around,” said Rev. Marvin Johnson from Jerusalem Baptist Church.  "If we can step up and begin to show love and concern and care for one another, I believe the change will come."

"We need integrity,” said Katrina Buckson.  “Integrity here in Baltimore, we need men and women who are going to do what they're supposed to do."

The 9-year-old girl is the second child to be shot this month.  Back on September 3, a 10-year-old boy was one of three people hit by bullets in West Baltimore.

Police say even with this surge in gun violence they think some of their initiatives are working.  The number of gun arrests and gun seizures are up 40 percent since July.

If you have information about any shooting from the weekend, call the Baltimore Police Department.