Child Killed, Mother Injured in Hebron Shooting

HEBRON, Md.- Maryland State Police are investigating a shooting that killed a 4-year-old child and left his mother injured in Hebron on Monday night.

The child has been identified as Jamal A. Woolford Jr., of the 100 block of Old Railroad Road, in Hebron. He was pronounced dead late Monday night at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. An autopsy is expected to be performed Tuesday. The injured victim is identified as Shanice A. Kellam, 24, who is Jamal's mother and lives at the same address. She is being treated at PRMC for what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.

Just before 9:30 p.m. Monday, troopers at the MSP-Salisbury Barrack received a 911 call from the victims' address reporting a shooting. Troopers, county deputies, and EMS personnel responded to the scene. They found Jamal, who had sustained what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the chest and his mother, who had what appeared to be gunshot wounds to her hand, arm and shoulder.

Police said Jamal's father was also in the home, as was Kellam's 7-year-old daughter. Neither of them was injured.

MSP Homicide Unit investigators responded to the scene and are conducting the investigation. They are being assisted by investigators from the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation, troopers from the Salisbury Barrack, State Police crime scene technicians, and officers from the Salisbury Police Department.

Police said the preliminary investigation indicates that Kellam was asleep inside her bedroom when she was awakened by something hitting her. Troopers said she awoke to see her son wounded in the chest and then realized she was also bleeding. She ran with her son into the living room to her son's father who had just returned home and 911 was called.

Investigators said they have since learned that Jamal's father owned a handgun that was kept in the bedroom. Police also said they had been told the child had previously been seen playing with the handgun. 

Investigators have obtained a search warrant for the scene and technicians continue to process the home for evidence, according to police.

Police said a large caliber handgun has been recovered on the bed where the shooting is believed to have occurred.