By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Salisbury police are investigating the death of a teen who was apparently shot late Tuesday.
Officers were called to the 900 block of West Horah Street about 10:45 p.m. Details were still sketchy shortly before 1 this morning, with police confirming only a homicide investigation.
A body covered by a sheet was visible lying in an empty lot beside 924 W. Horah St., a white frame structure. The block was closed between Vanderford Street and Institute Street.
The empty lot was lit by spotlights atop Salisbury Fire Department trucks. Police covered the body with a canopy, but had made no effort to move the deceased more than two hours after officers arrived.
Officers searched the area for more than an hour after arriving, discovering numerous shell casings in the roadway and gutter east of the site of the body. They extended police tape on several occasions after finding more casings.
Katherine Simpson lives at 907 W. Horah St. and said she was sitting on her front porch when a dark-colored car drove past headed east with the occupants shooting. She estimated they fired “six, seven, eight rounds.”
Simpson said she didn’t hear any argument that preceded the shooting.
“I ducked down,” she said. “I was the only person on the porch. I don’t know who they were shooting at.”
An early call heard over a police scanner identified the victim as a 16-year-old male and several people who gathered at the scene said that was the approximate age of the victim.
A woman who identified herself as the victim’s grandmother declined further comment. Others cried, screamed and hugged at the scene, with police forced to temporarily restrain at least one man.
Lt. Shelia Lingle is the lead investigator for the Salisbury Police Department.