Man walks in to barber shop and shoots a barber with a customer in the chair.. then...
- Thread starter Big Tex
- Start date
On November 13, 2021, a series of tragic events unfolded in Baltimore, starting with a dispute that escalated into a deadly shooting spree by 38-year-old Carlos Ortega.
The sequence of events began in the afternoon when Ortega got into an altercation on E. Oliver Street. During this confrontation, Ortega was stabbed by an unidentified individual, leading him to retaliate by shooting the man, who survived.
Ortega then proceeded to target two barbershops. His first stop was the Crown Barbershop on Eastern Avenue, where he fatally shot 44-year-old barber Javier Villegas Cotto. He then drove to the Blady Style Barber Shop on O’Donnell Street.
At Blady Style, Ortega encountered Rafael Jeffers, a 33-year-old barber, and Sergeant Birch, who was getting a haircut. Ortega approached Jeffers with a handgun, shot him multiple times, and then told Birch to move out of the way.
Birch, an off-duty Baltimore Police Sergeant, responded by drawing his off-duty weapon and fatally shooting Ortega, effectively ending the rampage.
The Maryland Attorney General's Office released a report detailing Sergeant Birch's actions, concluding that he acted reasonably and in self-defense.
The report also revealed text messages on Ortega's phone indicating he felt threatened and extorted, but the exact motive for the shootings remains unclear.
City Council members and community leaders emphasized the need for trauma-informed care and support for those affected by such acts of violence.
The sequence of events began in the afternoon when Ortega got into an altercation on E. Oliver Street. During this confrontation, Ortega was stabbed by an unidentified individual, leading him to retaliate by shooting the man, who survived.
Ortega then proceeded to target two barbershops. His first stop was the Crown Barbershop on Eastern Avenue, where he fatally shot 44-year-old barber Javier Villegas Cotto. He then drove to the Blady Style Barber Shop on O’Donnell Street.
At Blady Style, Ortega encountered Rafael Jeffers, a 33-year-old barber, and Sergeant Birch, who was getting a haircut. Ortega approached Jeffers with a handgun, shot him multiple times, and then told Birch to move out of the way.
Birch, an off-duty Baltimore Police Sergeant, responded by drawing his off-duty weapon and fatally shooting Ortega, effectively ending the rampage.
The Maryland Attorney General's Office released a report detailing Sergeant Birch's actions, concluding that he acted reasonably and in self-defense.
The report also revealed text messages on Ortega's phone indicating he felt threatened and extorted, but the exact motive for the shootings remains unclear.
City Council members and community leaders emphasized the need for trauma-informed care and support for those affected by such acts of violence.