Two injured, one dead from separate shootings near Columbia shopping center

BALTIMORE — Two teenagers were injured, and a man died from two separate shootings on Saturday at nearby locations in Howard County.

A man in his 20s was found shot to death inside of a parked vehicle behind an office building around 2:14 a.m. in the 8800 block of Centre Park Drive in Columbia, according to Howard County Police.

Around 9:10 p.m., two teens– ages 16 and 17 — were injured from a shooting in the parking lot of the nearby Giant Food at the Columbia Palace Shopping Center, police say. 

“It’s crazy because Columbia isn’t known for that sort of thing but it’s been cropping up a little bit more now, this year especially,” Columbia resident Bill Houseal said. “It’s kind of frightening it is happening more and more.”

Police don’t believe the shootings are connected.

“It’s startling. You don’t expect something like this in this neighborhood,” said Columbia resident Jim. “It’s not an inner city, it’s not a high crime area.”

Anyone with information on the shootings should call police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.