The mayor of Baltimore has called for a citywide youth curfew this spring and summer in the wake of two teenagers being injured in a shooting over the weekend.
"I want everyone to hear me, and hear me clearly," Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott said during a press conference Sunday. "We are going back to the old days. We will be enforcing a youth curfew as we move into the latter spring and summer months."
A 14-year-old and a 16-year-old were injured by gunshots Sunday at around 9 p.m. as police attempted to disperse a crowd of more than 200 teenagers at the city's Inner Harbor, according to WBAL-TV.
One of the victims was in critical condition and the other was stable, according to the outlet, which also noted that police arrested two suspects.
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Both suspects were found with loaded guns, and one matched a description of the shooter, WBAL-TV reported. The other was found in the parking garage of police headquarters.
The curfew will go into effect at 9 p.m. for children 14 years old and younger, while those under 17 will have to be off the streets by 10 p.m., Scott said.
Scott also noted that he has been seeing too many children out at night away from their homes.
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"It’s not just about making sure we are getting them off the street, but making sure that we are supporting them and figuring out what’s going on with them and their families," Scott said. "It is not normal for person to be that far away from their home and no one knows where they are or cares for them."
Scott also said the city will have summer programs for young people to participate in.
"This speaks to a larger issue, that young people have easy access to these firearms and would use them indiscriminately, shooting people within 30 feet with 25 to 30 police officers who were in the area," Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said of the recent shooting. "They don't care about the consequences and have no respect for human life or authority to pull off that brazenly cowardly act in front of police officers."
Five children under 18 have been fatally shot and another 23 have been injured by gunfire in Baltimore so far in 2023, according to Baltimore police statistics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
