Baltimore County Police Killed Korryn Gaines and Injured Her 5-Year-Old Son in Shooting (UPDATE)

Baltimore County Police fatally shot Korryn Gaines during what police have described as a standoff. Her 5-year-old son was also injured.

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Complex Original

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UPDATE August 5, 6:05 p.m. ET:

On Friday Baltimore County Police confirmed after running a "medical procedure" that the round that struck Korryn Gaines' five-year-old son Kodi was in fact fired from an officer and not Gaines. Baltimore County Police wrote, "Police confirm that the officer aimed at and struck Korryn Gaines, 23, the boy's mother, after she aimed her Mossberg shotgun at him and threatened to kill him."ย Kodi is said to have been injured in his left cheek and that "additional forensics tests will be conducted on the recovered round."

See original story below.

Baltimore County police shot and killed a 23-year-old African-Americanย woman Monday while she was reportedly barricaded inside an apartment with a 5-year-old boy, who also sustained gunfire-related injuries. Police claim Korryn Gaines had threatened to kill one of the responding officers who was attempting to serve arrest warrants on Gaines and a man inside the apartment, the Baltimore Sunreports. That man was arrested but has not been identified by police.

"We discharged one round at her," Police Chief Jim Johnson said at a press conference regarding the Randallstown shooting Monday night. "In turn, she fired several rounds back at us. We fired back at her, striking and killing her. Tragically in this circumstance, the child that also was in the dwelling was struck by a round. We do not know, at this moment in time, whether or not that round was fired by our weapons or by the weapon possessed by Gaines."

Speaking to the Baltimore Sun Tuesday, Gaines' uncle, Jermaine Barnett, said the 5-year-old boy was Gaines' son. The child sustained non-life threatening injuries. Police, however, have not confirmed their relationship. Another child, reportedly a 1-year-old, is believed to have been taken from the residence by the unidentified man who was arrested while attempting to flee. Gaines was reportedly wanted for failure to appear in cases stemming from a March incident that reportedly involved traffic violations, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

In a statement posted to the Baltimore County website Monday, police confirmed that an investigation into Gaines' death is currently in progress:

"This is an active, ongoing investigation. The officers involved in this incident will be placed on administrative leave, standard procedure for all officer-involved shootings. Their names will be released approximately 48 hours from now, in accordance with BCoPD's contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #4.

The shooting has raised far more questions than answers, with the New York Daily News'ย Shaun King sharing footage of Gaines' previous encounters with police on Twitter Tuesday:ย 

King also shared footage alleging to show an armed SWAT team inside the apartment on the day of the fatal shooting, footage some have said was originally posted to Gaines' Facebook but has since disappeared:

Others have also questioned the shooting, sharing in memoriam messages and calling for police transparency:

Baltimore County Police told Complex Tuesday that an update on the shooting would be posted to the department's news blog when available.

This story is developing.

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