BALTIMORE, MD (WBFF) — The families of the victims killed in the 2023 Brooklyn Homes mass shooting are suing the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, according to attorneys at Hansel Law, PC.
On July 2, 2023, gunfire erupted during an annual Brooklyn Homes block party early in the morning, leaving two people dead and 28 others injured in South Baltimore; at least 15 were minors. The two killed were identified as Kylis Fagbemi, 20, and Aaliyah Gonzales, who was just 18.
According to the lawsuits filed, the families of Aaliyah Gonzalez and the mother of Kylis Fagbemi state that the housing authority could have prevented their deaths.
The lawsuit claims that:
This is a case against the Housing Authority of Baltimore City and its leadership seeking redress for their failure to provide security sufficient to prevent the July 1-2, 2023 Brooklyn Day Shooting.The Brooklyn Day Shooting was the largest mass shooting in Baltimore’s history, with as many as 30 people shot, two young people killed, and most victims still in their teens.Despite ample prior notice, HABC and its leadership negligently failed to either prevent the event from happening at all or to require that it occur only within safe parameters, including adequate security. These negligent failures directly and proximately caused the mass shooting and resulting deaths, physical harm, and mental anguish.“The Housing Authority was well aware of the annual Brooklyn Day event, but failed to provide adequate security. The Housing Authority’s failure to protect the people of Baltimore created the conditions for this tragedy. The families are owed justice.” Cary Hansel, civil rights attorney, said.
The lawsuit also claims that the defendants had known about Brooklyn Day 2023 and what day it would occur.
“Brooklyn Day was an annual summer celebration which has attracted large crowds to Brooklyn Homes every year from 2018 until the final event in 2023, but Brooklyn Day has been a consistent and long standing event in the community dating back at least to the 1970’s,” the lawsuit states.
In its after-action report, HABC provided these historic “throwback” pictures demonstrating the long-standing nature of Brooklyn Day (
The document states that HABC was “well aware” of the annual celebration, in which employees would attend, due to the circulated emails asking for volunteers, flyers around the neighborhood, social media, word of mouth, and the authorities’ camera systems.
Also widely known was the violence in the area: “Brooklyn Homes and the surrounding neighborhood were well known, as of 2023 and prior thereto, as a high crime area. In fact, it was and is one of the most violent areas in Baltimore City,” the lawsuit states.
After the mass shooting, BPD launched an internal review of how its staff responded to the scene and the apparent lack of action from staff before the shooting began, but several people called 911 for help.
In May 2024, Baltimore Police Department’s Public Integrity Bureau completed an internal investigation and provided its findings to the Administrative Charging Committee and Disciplinary Review Committee for review and discipline. As a result of the investigation,15 individuals were investigated for Policy and Misconduct Violations. This includes one captain, two lieutenants, four sergeants, three officers and five professional staff members.
Also, 12 individuals were charged by either committee for violations due to actions or inactions tied to the mass shooting and/or the investigation into possible misconduct. This includes eight sworn members and four professional staff members.
The lawsuit states that HABC and its leadership failed. “These negligent failures directly and proximately caused the mass shooting and resulting deaths, physical harm, and mental anguish.”
Read the full lawsuit below:
Fox45 News reached out to the Housing Authority of Baltimore City for a statement but has yet to hear back.