College-Bound Teen Killed In Baltimore Mass Shooting, Glen Burnie Grad Was Strong Student

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A recent Glen Burnie High School graduate was one of the victims killed in this weekend's south Baltimore mass shooting.

Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, graduated from the school last month. Police said she was one of two people killed and one of 30 shot at a weekend party in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood.

Kevin Carr, principal at Glen Burnie High School, remembered Gonzalez as a strong student.

"Aaliyah was a quiet student who was proud of her academic achievements," Carr said in a Monday letter to families. "She made the honor roll in every marking period this year and was looking forward to a bright future."

Gonzalez had been accepted to multiple colleges and planned to work in the medical field, WJZ reported.

"For something like this to happen to somebody. Somebody so beautiful. Somebody so pure. Somebody so innocent—it's just it's not fair," Gonzalez's aunt, Sheldonna Wilson told WJZ.

Gonzalez was invited to the party at the last minute and went to support a friend, WJZ said. The family is now calling for anybody with information on the unknown shooters to contact police.

"If it was your sister, wouldn't you want somebody to come forward and say I know who did it," Gonzalez's great uncle, John Young, told WJZ.

Investigators are offering a $28,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest or the indictment of the shooters.

The Baltimore Police Department said the shooting happened Sunday around 12:30 a.m.

Officers said neighbors were hosting their annual "Brooklyn Day" block party when at least two suspects opened fire, fatally shooting two and injuring another 28. Investigators don't know if the shooting was targeted or random.

Authorities said the victims ranged in age from 13 to 32 years old and 15 of them were minors.

Police said Gonzalez died at the scene and 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi died at a hospital.

Authorities said Brooklyn Day normally has a police presence, but officers weren't there this year.

"That's what we're trying to investigate," Richard Worley, Baltimore's acting police commissioner, said during a Sunday press conference streamed by WJZ. "This was an unpermitted event, so our job now is to figure out when we figured out that this was occurring and what our officers did. If we made mistakes we'll fix them and move forward so that this does not happen ever again."

Anyone with information is urged to contact homicide detectives at 410-396-2100.

Informants can also anonymously contact the Metro Crime Stoppers of Maryland, a non-police organization that collects tips and shares them with detectives. Tipsters can reach the Metro Crime Stopers at 1-866-7LOCKUP (1-866-756-2587), on metrocrimestoppers.org or through the P3 Tips mobile application.

Related:

• $28K Reward Offered For Info On Deadly Baltimore Mass Shooting: FBI
• 15 Minors Among 30 Shot At Baltimore Block Party: Police

This map shows the area where authorities said the shooting happened.

The Associated Press, Patch reporter Anna Schier and Patch reporter Cailin Loesch contributed reporting to this story.