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Fatal shooting breaks relative calm
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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Police are seeking two men in the fatal shooting of a man in front of his West Baltimore home early this morning, the first to break a lull in violent crime that lasted little more than a week.
The shooting occurred about 2:15 a.m. in the 1700 block of West Baltimore, said police spokeswoman Nicole Monroe. Two gunmen approached Samuel Epps, 30, and opened fire. Epps fled, and the two men chased him until he collapsed on a sidewalk from multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma, where he was pronounced dead at 2:48 a.m.
Monroe said Epps had a lengthy criminal record, including several arrests for drug violations. At the time of the shooting, he was on probation until August 2008.
The shooting was the 180th homicide of the year, and the first after a period of calm that had lasted about a week. The last fatal shooting in the city occurred on July 19.
sgentile@baltimoreexaminer.com
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7:27 PM MST on Sun., Jul. 29, 2007 re: "Fatal shooting breaks relative calm"
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A Family Member said:
You know it’s interesting to read what others have to say. I agree with those of you that say a person’s past does not mean anything when the person has died. Think about it, what does his criminal past have to do with anything, whether he died from natural causes or was murdered. To you ~reader, who has the nerve to say good riddance to my cousin I simply say turn the tables and imagine that it was your family member that was taken away from you. I write as a mourning cousin saying I know he was not a saint, but yet he was man, father and a child of God. Keep that in mind because this could be his sons or daughters reading your unnecessary comments. Please keep our family in your prayers especially his children and parents. And may God have mercy on your soul.
71 agree | 83 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
First and for most, the victim was a family member of mine. Regardless of someone's history, no one deserves to die especially the way he did. You do not know why the murder took place so basing his record on that is irrelevant. It amazes that you all play GOD and can be soo judegemental like anyone walking on this earth is a saint.
102 agree | 80 disagree
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An Examiner Reader said:
Good riddance to Mr. Epps. He should not have been out on probation in the first place so his cohorts did what the courts should have done. Now, if we can just get rid of his cohorts and all others like Mr. Epps.
98 agree | 88 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
You judgmental readerswith no hearts are amazing. You don't even know what the guy's record consisted of. He was a human being who you did not know, but you declare was without any value. Certainly hope you never find yourselves on the wrong side of the law. If so, I suppose it would be in all our interest to snuff you out.
104 agree | 93 disagree
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examiner reader said:
too many of you place your hearts in the wrong place yes no one should take another's life but let me tell you this there is a entire family that was wiped out because of two dirt bags with long records baltimore needs leaders that are going to be tuff on crime and if they dont correct the problems now.... well another dead bad guy wont be all you will read about
104 agree | 101 disagree
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Scratch one bad guy said:
You bleeding hearts are too much. The victim was a not an innocent bystander. He was a bad guy and this morning there is one less bad guy on the street.
108 agree | 100 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Reporters, editors, and newspapers should change this style of reporting that vilifies the victim. Mr. Epps lived for 30 years. Surely the sum and subtance of his life was more than a criminal rescord and a fatal shooting. The story is why, what was behind both.
122 agree | 85 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This Man is Dead. his kids are without a Father, His past is not important. Find the killers. no on derserves to be murdered, God is the only one who should take a life.he gave life not these thugs.
88 agree | 84 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
It is bad enough that we are having all these murder, I just can't understand when you report that someone was murder, then you have to put if they have a record or past record. at this point who really cares they are dead and gone try to fucus on murder them. I understand that some of these people that are murder have a record and that is all these paper focus on, let's focus on stopping all the murders that we have in Baltimore
119 agree | 99 disagree
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Rocko the Magnificent said:
Who would have guessed that the victim had a lengthy criminal record? What a shock.
125 agree | 104 disagree
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