Community reacts to Inner Harbor homicide

The Baltimore Inner Harbor is a hotspot for tourists. But now, it is the scene of a murder investigation. It was a sad night for many people once they found out a 17-year-old was gunned down on the 200 block of East Pratt Street.

On the night of April 1, around 8:30, Baltimore City Police responded to a shooting. A 17-year-old boy was shot and later transported to a hospital where he eventually died. The shooting is still under investigation.

The news nearly brought Baltimore native Sorcez Dieniro to tears. 'It's disheartening and it hurts my feelings,' said Dieniro. As a local advocate for the youth, he believes there's an easy fix to the teen violence in the city. 'It starts at home. Single mother, both parents in the house. Y'all need to get y'all kids. You need to maintain your kids and know where they are at,' said Dieniro. 'You've got to book them in programs, rec centers that have all different types of different things. There's different programs out here. There's still Big Brother, Big Sister, the YMCA. There's no excuse,' he added.

In addition to the devastating loss of a young teenager, Dieniro says the homicide at the Harbor keeps visitors away. 'A lot of tourists come into town for events, conferences, sports, Orioles game, Ravens game...now these people are going to be in fear,' Dieniro expressed.

'It's concerning that I bring my family here,' said Chris Settle, a Baltimore tourist. Settle brought his family to Baltimore for spring break. On the night of the shooting, they were in town at the O's game, just blocks away from the scene. The nearby violence forces Settle to have second thoughts. 'I am a little hesitant because I have two small kids now and we always stayed at the Inner Harbor. Today, we were walking around in the rain enjoying the Harbor Place and enjoying the aquarium and food like the Cheesecake Factory. But yeah, it is a little alarming and it does make you think twice,' Settle shared.

Mayor Brandon Scott responded to the shooting with a quote saying, 'We will not let the action of a cowardly few perpetrating violence in Baltimore reflect on all of Baltimore's young people who want to grow and thrive in a safe city. My message to the perpetrators is the same - turn yourself in now. We will not tolerate your use of violence.'