A pregnant Maryland woman was shot and killed last week, according to officials, who said her baby is in critical condition after an emergency delivery.
The Howard County Police Department said that Rabiah Ahmad, 30, was shot once after several rounds were fired into her home in Columbia. Officials said she was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Ahmad was 28 weeks pregnant, forcing doctors to have to deliver the baby girl, who was in critical condition at the time.
The child, as of Sunday, was still in critical condition, county police spokesman Seth Hoffman told the Baltimore Sun.
Investigators are trying to determine if another person was the intended target in the shooting, he said, according to the paper.
UPDATE: Pregnant woman shot in Columbia dies; baby delivered at hospital in critical condition. Police are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information in the case. Contact police at 410-313-STOP or [email protected]. Release (PDF): https://t.co/n480XmuM8y pic.twitter.com/woBtJISqZK
— Howard County Police Department (@HCPDNews) August 1, 2020
“This is a quiet neighborhood,” he said. “There are usually little kids playing in the street.”
“She was an amazing spirit,” said Kadeem Bailey, her boyfriend. He declined to make a further statement to the Sun.
Authorities said they are offering up to $5,000 for information in the case. They are also urging residents in the area to check their security camera footage or any activity at around 11 p.m. on July 31.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, a Democrat, said the incident is an “unimaginable and unacceptable tragedy which took place in our community.”
People who may have seen or heard something in the area, or have other information, can contact police at 410-313-STOP.
