ROSEDALE, MARYLAND – A parking lot meetup to buy a pair of expensive shoes turned out to be a ruse for a robbery, and the intended victim shot and killed the would-be robber. The deal went sour just after 5:20 on Sunday afternoon.
According to Baltimore County Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Peach, officers were summoned to the Golden Ring Shopping Center at 6420 Petrie Way Road around 5:20 p.m. for a reported shooting. Arriving officers found Kumar Jumar Burney, 20, of the 5300 block of King Arthur Circle, suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries which he later succumbed to.
Police say Burney arranged to meet a man selling a pair of expensive shoes on a popular app. Once they were face-to-face, Burney attempted to rob the man, who responded by drawing a handgun and firing a single shot. The intended victim called 911 and remained on scene to speak with police. A loaded handgun that allegedly belonged to the would-be robber was recovered near the scene.
The police news release stated, “Investigators interviewed and released the seller, who is cooperating with the police investigation,” police said in a news release. “Once detectives from the Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit have concluded their investigation the case will be reviewed by the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office.”
Peach added, “This is disturbing for us as a police department and for a lot of people around here because it is the holidays and this is a very busy shopping center. This is the type of area that we would normally tell people to go to if you are meeting someone for buying online.”
Busy and well-lighted public areas may be a deterrent for some with criminal intentions, but that is not always the case. Broad daylight robberies and assaults in public spaces seem to be happening more and more frequently. These types of transactions should be avoided if at all possible, but if they are arranged, app users should be on high-alert and prepared to defend themselves should the other party prove to have bad intentions.
An even better option is to set up the meeting at a local police station, as many have spots for just this purpose on the property.
