Police Kill Man Firing Assault Rifle in Baltimore

Baltimore, MD — A man firing an AR-15-style rifle was killed by police Thursday night near a Baltimore apartment complex. The suspect, whose name has not been released, turned the gun on four officers as they arrived at the scene.

The motive is not known, but the man may have been firing the weapon in hopes of drawing a police response, according to police spokesperson T.J. Smith.

The area around the Winchester Street apartments was blocked off for hours as officers worked to determine whether the shooter acted alone. Police said early Friday that they believe the man was acting alone.

At 9:30 p.m., four officers in the area heard gunfire and approached an apartment building on Winchester Street. The plainclothes officers were in an unmarked car, but Smith noted the vehicle was known to community members as a police vehicle and the officers were wearing vests that identified them as police.

As they approached the suspect, he turned the gun on the officers, according to Smith.

Gunfire was exchanged, and the suspect was shot in the upper body. The man fled into a stairwell and was found on the second-floor landing. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The weapon was found in the wood line behind the apartments.

Smith noted several spent assault rifle shell casings were collected in the parking lot, and police continued to work at the scene into the morning.