Investigators said the deadly shooting followed an illegal car rally involving people from Virginia.
COLUMBIA, Md. — Howard County detectives are investigating whether multiple shooters opened fire during an illegal car rally Monday morning, killing one man and injuring six others in a parking garage in Columbia.
The shooting brought police to the 6700 block of Alexander Bell Drive shortly before 5:30 a.m. April 27. Officers found a man dead in the garage and later identified him as 24-year-old Leo Noel Balladares-Arita, of Falls Church, Virginia.
Police first reported five injured victims, then updated the total after another person tied to the incident walked into a Virginia hospital. Investigators said all six surviving victims were from Virginia. Their injuries ranged from critical to not life-threatening, according to information released Monday.
Sherry Llewellyn, a Howard County police spokeswoman, said investigators believe the gunfire involved more than one shooter. She said people connected to the rally later appeared at hospitals around the region, including a juvenile female who walked into a hospital in Virginia.
The rally drew roughly 40 to 50 people, according to witness accounts shared with police. Investigators believe many of the participants knew one another and had traveled from Virginia. Police said the group did not appear to have regular ties to Howard County.
The parking garage may have been chosen because it was less visible and did not have security cameras, police said. That left detectives relying on witnesses, hospital reports and other evidence to piece together the sequence of shots, vehicles and people who left before officers arrived.
Illegal car rallies have been a focus for law enforcement agencies across Maryland. Howard County police said they have joined state and local partners in efforts to stop gatherings before they grow into larger events. Police said the Columbia shooting group was new to them.
No weapons had been recovered Monday, and police had not announced any arrests. Detectives were still trying to confirm how many cars were in the garage, how many people fired guns and whether the shooting began after a dispute.
The investigation remained active Tuesday, April 28. Police said Balladares-Arita was the only person killed, and the six surviving victims were being treated after the predawn shooting.
Author note: Last updated Tuesday, April 28, 2026.