This story has been updated to include the names of the suspect and the victims, and to provide more details about the incident.
A Sunday night shooting at a private home in Maryland that left three people dead — including a father and son — and three others wounded arose from a parking dispute, according to police.
Police in Annapolis responded to reports of a shooting at approximately 8 p.m. June 11 stemming from what Annapolis Police Chief Edward Jackson called an “interpersonal dispute” and not a “random act of violence,” NPR reported. Further investigation of the incident revealed the dispute had stemmed from a neighborhood dispute over parking due to a party, The Associated Press reported.
Charles Robert Smith, 43, surrendered himself to authorities and was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder, assault and other offenses, Annapolis Police Chief Edward Jackson told reporters at a media briefing, according to the AP.
Though the victims appeared to know one another, Jackson initially declined to tell reporters what the relationship was between the victims and the suspect, who was taken into custody, NPR reported.
3 dead, 3 wounded in shooting at Maryland home https://t.co/3RS4eSUAiO pic.twitter.com/wO6wFcEbIw
— New York Post (@nypost) June 12, 2023
The dispute arose after Smith’s mother, Shirley Smith, called in a complaint to a local parking enforcement company because a vehicle was allegedly blocking her driveway, the AP reported. When Mireles Ruiz went to Smith’s house to talk about the issue, an argument reportedly broke out between him and Shirley, prompting Smith to confront Ruiz when he returned home, according to the AP.
The confrontation allegedly turned physical, resulting in Smith pulling out a gun and shooting both 27-year-old Ruiz and 25-year-old Christian Segovia. When witnesses saw Ruiz and Segovia lying on the ground, they rushed to the scene and were allegedly fired upon by Smith, who went inside the house and began shooting with a long gun outside his front window, the AP reported. Ruiz’s father, Nicholas Mireles, was killed and three others were wounded during that alleged shooting.
“Tonight was an example of, yet again, senseless violence. People trying to resolve issues with guns. It is just the most ridiculous thing that we can do as a society,” said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley at a news conference regarding the incident, according to WTOP news. “We are saddened for the families, saddened for Annapolis that they have to deal with things like this.” (RELATED: Funeral Company Owner Allegedly Shoots Two At Funeral, Including Pallbearer)
Police have stated that though a suspect is in custody, the investigation into the incident is “fluid and ongoing.”
“We’re still trying to determine everything that occurred. We’re still piecing it together. We have a lot more work to do,” Jackson said, according to NPR.