Four Dead In Apparent Joppatowne Murder-Suicide, Sheriff Says
Victims of Slayings In Quiet Harford Community Include Shooter
By Gary Gately
journalistgarygately@gmail.com
A 17-year-old and three adults were fatally shot in a Joppatowne home today in an apparent murder-suicide, the Harford County Sheriff's Office reported.
Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler told reporters this afternoon that deputies responded at about 11:20 a.m. to reports of gunshots inside a home in an apartment and townhouse complex in the 300 block of Trimble Road, about a quarter-mile from U.S. 40.
Deputies arrived within two minutes and found three of the victims dead, including the suspected shooter, and a fourth victim died of gunshot wounds after being flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Gahler said.
Law enforcement officials had not determined a motive, but Gahler said someone inside the home opened the door for the suspect. That suggests the shootings resulted from a possible domestic dispute in Joppatowne, a quiet, middle-class community of roughly 13,500 people in southwestern Harford County.
The authorities evacuated the complex as a precaution and urged residents to reunite with their families at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church at 622 Joppa Farm Road.
But Sheriff Gahler told reporters that no danger remained for the community.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office asks that anyone with information call detectives at 443-567-7201.
The slayings doubled the number of 2023 murders in Harford County, to eight, and came as the county mourns the death of Rachel Morin, the mother of five killed along the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air on August 5.
“Sorry to be here standing in front of everyone today, another tragic day for our Harford County community.” — Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler
Sheriff Gahler, who has become a familiar face to millions across the world through his updates on the investigation into the murder of Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five children, told reporters Saturday: "Sorry to be here standing in front of everyone today, another tragic day for our Harford County community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those families that are going to be impacted by these horrific losses."
(Top photo: The Mariner's Pointe apartment and townhouse complex in Joppatowne, where four people were murdered Saturday/Photo: Mariner's Pointe Apartment Homes)
If you spot any errors, want to share news tips, pitch story ideas or submit a first-person piece, please get in touch. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks again for reading. — Gary Gately, Editor, The Baltimore Observer, journalistgarygately@gmail.com, 410-382-4364.