Father of Slain Md. Infant Might Have Been the Target

An 8-month-old boy was in a car seat in this minivan when he was fatally shot, and his father was shot while standing near it. The vehicle was in the parking lot of the family's apartment building. (By Richard A. Lipski -- The Washington Post)
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That was little solace to some who visited the crime scene yesterday, bearing flowers and teddy bears. At the request of his 9-year-old daughter, Joe Brown placed a teddy bear and a stuffed cat beside the broken glass, dried blood and yellow spray paint marking some of the 22 spots where officers recovered shell casings and other evidence.

"This is an innocent child," Brown said. "I don't know, I'm kind of desensitized to young men and [the father] getting shot, but this is an 8-month-old. It's extremely emotional. I'm thinking about my kids, because it could have been one of them."

June White Dillard, president of the county's chapter of the NAACP, echoed that sentiment, saying the killing was "extremely disconcerting" for the public.

It was for police and county emergency workers, too. Firefighters and medical workers were visibly shaken after trying to help the child Wednesday night. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"This is tragic for all of us. Our energy level is really up," Hylton said. "We're going to do everything to solve this."

Staff writer Paul Duggan and researcher Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.