On the night of December 15, 2025, a violent mass shooting erupted in Northeast Baltimore, claiming the life of an innocent bystander and injuring four others. The incident occurred shortly before 11:00 p.m. in the 3400 block of Belair Road, a busy commercial corridor in the Belair-Edison neighborhood. Patrol officers from the Eastern District were already in the area when they heard a barrage of gunfire, prompting an immediate response to the scene, which was located at a carry-out restaurant
known as N.Y. Chicken Fish & Grill.
Upon arrival, first responders discovered a chaotic scene where over 30 rounds had been fired, shattering the storefront glass and leaving the establishment riddled with bullet holes. Inside the carry-out, officers found Erica Sterling, a 54-year-old Black female, suffering from critical gunshot wounds. She had been sitting on a ledge inside the restaurant, reportedly waiting to use the ATM or pick up food, when the shooting began. Despite the life-saving efforts of emergency personnel, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police investigation later determined she was an unintended victim of the violence that targeted the group of men nearby.
Four other individuals were wounded during the attack. Officers initially located two men, aged 20 and 24, at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries. Shortly thereafter, two additional victims, men aged 25 and 31, walked into a nearby area hospital seeking treatment for gunshot wounds sustained in the same incident. All four male victims were expected to survive their injuries.
Detectives from the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide unit launched an extensive investigation, collecting significant forensic evidence, including shell casings that indicated high-intensity gunfire. Surveillance footage from inside the business captured the terrifying moments as the shots pierced the glass, causing customers to drop to the floor or flee for safety. While police identified multiple persons of interest in the days following the tragedy, no formal arrests were immediately made, and authorities continued to appeal to the public for information regarding the shooters, whose motives remained under investigation.
