A pregnant woman in Columbia was shot in her home, Friday.
She was rushed to the hospital after the shooting. However, she did not survive. Because of this, the baby was born, even if the woman was only 28 weeks pregnant. The baby is still in a risky condition.
Officials are still reviewing the incident. The police will give a $5,000 reward to those who can provide information about the crime.
The shooting incident that killed the pregnant woman
Reports say that gunshots were heard in the area at around 11 in the evening of Friday.
When the police arrived, they learned that a pregnant woman was shot in one of the rounds of gunshots. Gun was fired outside their home.
The pregnant woman was rushed to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. She did not survive the shooting, and her baby was delivered early.
The pregnant woman's boyfriend was also in their home when the event transpired. However, he no longer commented to the press about what happened.
He describes his partner as a person with a fantastic spirit.
The neighbors' accounts on the shooting incident
One of the neighbors described the incident as very sudden. That is since the neighborhood is very peaceful, and no such events have ever occurred before. This neighbor said," This is a quiet neighborhood. There are usually little kids playing in the street."
Initially, a neighbor thought that the incident was because there were late-night construction works in the area. It was only after a few minutes when he realized that what he heard were gunshots because police arrived.
The police investigation on the pregnant woman's death
The Howard County Police have investigators asking neighbors about the incident.
The motive for the shooting is still to be determined. Police are also examining whether there are other targets in the shooting incident.
They are also asking the entire neighborhood to check their doorbell and security footage. That is to see if there is anything suspicious around the time of the crime.
Officials believe that the public's cooperation will help give justice to the pregnant woman's death and her baby, who is in critical condition.
The victim is a Muslim, and the community is also calling for the public's help in the incident. According to the director of the council on American-Islamic public relations," At this point, there are too many unanswered questions, and the community's help can make a tremendous difference."
The police are also offering a reward to anyone who has pertinent information on the pregnant woman's killing. The reward from the Howard County Police Department is $5,000. The person who will give the information may keep their identity if they choose to do so.
Anyone who knows anything about the suspects may call the police hotline at 410-313-STOP. An email containing the information may also be sent to HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.
