1 killed, 6 injured in shooting linked to illegal car rally in Columbia, police say

Deadly shooting at Maryland car meet leaves 1 dead, 6 hurt

A car meet in Columbia, Maryland turned deadly after gunfire erupted, leaving one person dead and at least six others injured, with police investigating multiple shooters.

COLUMBIA, Md. - Howard County police are investigating a shooting they say is tied to an illegal car rally in Columbia that left one person dead and six others injured.

What we know:

The shooting was reported just before 5:30 a.m. Monday inside a parking garage in the 6700 block of Alexander Bell Drive. 

Officers found a man dead from gunshot wounds. He has been identified as Leo Noel Balladares-Arita, 24, of Falls Church, Va.

An adult female was transported from the scene with injuries that were considered not life‑threatening. 

Five additional victims walked into area hospitals over the next several hours, according to police. 

Police say the victims are all from Virginia: three 20-year-old males, a 19-year-old female, and 18-year-old male and a 16-year-old female. 

Detectives believe many of the people involved, who they say were known to one another, were not from Howard County.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 410‑313‑STOP or email HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.