SALISBURY, Md. — As Fourth of July celebrations approach, Wicomico County is increasing security measures following last year's mass shooting at an Independence Day block party near Salisbury. The shooting left a 14-year-old dead and six others injured on Chippewa Boulevard.
The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office has stated there is no current intelligence suggesting a specific threat. However, they are aware of several official and unofficial Independence Day celebrations planned throughout the county.
"We have information that there's several get-togethers throughout the county, so we're going to make sure we have patrols throughout the county," said Captain Rich Wiersberg. "We’re not just going to focus on one area because anything can happen throughout the county, but we are conscious of what happened last year. We want to make sure we have everybody out and available and be a presence throughout all the communities."
Last year, the Sheriff's Office reported that when police arrived at the scene of the shooting, they were met with people beating on their cars and had to leave to call in backup before returning after shots were fired. Captain Wiersberg mentioned that since the shooting, the Sheriff's Office has built strong relationships within the community.