Three killed after fight over parking at graduation party, cops say. Neighbor charged
A graduation party ended with three people shot dead, including a father and son, and three others wounded by gunfire in Maryland, police said.
The neighbor of where the party was held, Charles Robert Smith, 43, of Annapolis, is accused of carrying out the shooting. Officers found a semi-automatic handgun and long gun in the area on June 11, according to the Annapolis Police Department.
The shooting erupted that evening after an argument over parking, according to charging documents obtained by CBS News Baltimore.
Now, Smith is facing three counts of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder, three counts of first degree assault and one count of the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, police said in a news release.
After officers were called to the party at 7:50 p.m., they found father and son Nicholas Mireles, 55, and Mario Antonio Mireles Ruiz, 27, as well as Christian Marlon Segovia, 25, dead, according to authorities. Three other people were injured and were reported to be in stable condition, police said.
Smith is being held without bond, according to authorities. Details regarding an attorney representing Smith weren’t listed in court records.
At a June 13 news conference, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said a parent’s “proudest moment is their kid’s graduation from high school.”
“And on a graduation day, on a block party where you’re around family, where you should feel safe, this kind of violence happened,” he said.
The party was held at Mario Mireles’ home, and multiple cars were parked along the street, according to the charging documents CBS Baltimore obtained.
One car blocked the driveway of where Smith and his mother lived, according to the outlet, which reported his mother complained to police about the car.
Mario Mireles went to the home “to talk about the parking,” and a fight broke out with someone just as Smith arrived home and “confronted Mario Mireles,” the charging documents say, according to The Washington Post.
“The verbal argument became physical and Mr. Smith pulled out a gun. He and Mario Mireles tussled over the gun. During the tussle, Mr. Smith shot Mario Mireles. He also shot Christian Segovia,” the charging documents obtained by The Washington Post say. “Mr. Smith then stood over Mario Mireles and shot him several more times.”
Afterward, Smith ran into his home as neighbors rushed over to help those shot and opened fire on them, according to Fox Baltimore, citing police.
Nicholas Mireles was fatally shot while “trying to help his son,” according to charging documents obtained by the outlet.
Smith was taken into custody when authorities arrived, according to the news conference.
The FBI arrived to process the scene, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to deal with the ballistic evidence, police said.
This story was originally published June 13, 2023 at 10:59 AM with the headline "Three killed after fight over parking at graduation party, cops say. Neighbor charged."
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