Hostage Crisis Near Baltimore Synagogue Ends with Gunman Fatally Shot by Police

A dramatic hostage situation unfolded near an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Baltimore, culminating in a woman leaping through a window and the gunman being fatally shot.

The incident occurred in the typically serene Glen neighborhood, mere steps from the Agudath Israel of Baltimore synagogue, where police had been dispatched in response to a reported burglary.

According to Police Commissioner Richard Worley, the tense standoff began just after 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday on Park Heights Avenue when a woman was held at gunpoint inside her home.

Amid the chaos, a second woman managed to escape by jumping out of a window, prompting the gunman to fire at the officers arriving on the scene.

As reported by WMAR, officers faced sniper-like gunfire from within the residence, forcing them to seek cover behind vehicles for protection. The situation escalated as the gunman continued to shoot at law enforcement officials.

An officer as struck in the leg and transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in stable condition. Another officer applied a tourniquet at the scene.

The gunman, who police say was related to the residents of the home, was killed by a responding SWAT officer.

Initial reports suggested the gunfire was related to the synagogue. 

A shooter opened fire near the Agudath Israel of Baltimore synagogue on Tuesday afternoon

Footage captured by a local resident showed several first responders descending on the synagogue, which appears to have been cordoned off by police

A law enforcement officer carrying what appears to be an assault-style weapon responds to the active shooter situation in Baltimore

Baltimore police close off an area around a shooting, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Baltimore, where a police officer and a suspect were shot

Footage captured by a local resident showed officers from multiple law enforcement agencies, included officers carrying what appear to be assault-style weapons, descending on the scene. 

Paramedics were also called to the scene, which appears to have been cordoned off by police. 

‘It was relatively quick because he was firing on our officers,’ Commissioner Worley said. of the gunman.

‘We’re just so thankful that the officer or any other folks in that neighborhood were not severely harmed,’ Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott added.

‘Our thoughts are with him and his family, and even the family of the deceased.’

The Agudath Israel of Baltimore synagogue hosts daily services, including a 12.30pm mincha or afternoon prayer. 

It is unclear if Tuesday’s mincha was underway when shots rang out or how many people were in attendance. 

About a dozen students at the Kedushas Yisroel Khal Chassidim of Baltimore synagogue watched the situation unfold during their lunch break, local media reported.

The Agudath Israel of Baltimore synagogue is situated in the city’s quiet Glen neighborhood

Authorities have urged people to avoid the 6200 block of Park Heights Avenue as they investigate the shooting

Baltimore Police officers are seen near the scene of a shooting Tuesday, March 10, 2026

One resident told the Baltimore Banner that ‘this kind of thing is not very common in this area.’

The Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police said in a post on X that ‘all involved members’ of the shooting are in ‘good spirits.’

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has also issued his thoughts and prayers for all those involved in the incident.

‘We have been in close contact with the Baltimore Police Department and I have offered any state support that they may need,’ he wrote on X.

‘I am grateful for the work done by our brave law enforcement officers and medical professionals to ensure that our communities are safe.’