A dispute between drivers ended in Taneytown with a fatal shooting and brawl that left a 36-year-old Westminster man dead and three others injured in what law enforcement described as a road rage incident that escalated after the drivers stopped.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting just after 10 p.m. to the area of Bear Run Road and Runnymede Road Thursday, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators believe the conflict began on Route 140 between unnamed occupants of a pickup truck and a sedan.
Authorities did not specify how the road rage began or progressed but said both vehicles stopped at the intersection, the occupants got out of the vehicles and a fight ensued. A third vehicle, a Jeep, arrived during the fight.
Investigators did not identify who fired a handgun but said one was shot several times. The sheriff’s office said three men were hit. The 36-year-old Westminster man, who law enforcement said got out of his vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot wounds; police have not yet identified him.
The two other men were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening gunshot injuries. A 33-year-old woman was also injured during the fight but not struck by a bullet. She was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
One passenger got out of a car, according to sheriff James DeWees. Another driver was injured during the fight. The other passengers in the three vehicles did not leave their cars and were uninjured, DeWees said.
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An 18-month-old was uninjured in the incident but taken to a hospital as a precaution.
No charges have been filed as of Friday afternoon, but detectives are investigating the specific actions of each person to determine what charges, if any, are warranted, according to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said they do not believe there is any further threat to the public and expect to release more details about the incident Saturday.
This is a developing story.
