City. State Shocked Over Murder Of Former Baltimore Councilman BALTIMORE, MD (wypr) - "Former City Councilman Ken Harris was shot and killed while outside the Haven Lounge.

The words of Baltimore City Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld, who spoke during a weekend press conference at police headquarters, have resonated across Baltimore. Around 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, former Fourth District City Councilman, Ken Harris, was fatally shot during a robbery.

"What we know at this time is that three gunmen, at least two of whom were armed accosted Mr. Harris and the club owner Mr. Keith Covington as they were exiting the club.
Mr. Covington was being led back inside, when Mr. Harris moved towards his car, which was parked nearby, and was shot shortly after he got into the car.

Police say Covington returned fire. Harris, who'd been shot in the chest, drove his car a short distance before crashing. The 45-year-old husband and father of two, was later pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins hospital. He is the first former elected official to be murdered in recent memory. As of Friday, police said there had been 157 homicides in Baltimore, although no current totals were available over the weekend.


A visibly shaken Mayor Sheila Dixon was flanked by council-members and state lawmakers, who talked about their former colleague. Elected in 1999, Harris gave up his seat last year in an unsuccessful bid for City Council President.

"And for him to lose his life like this A young African-American male, who made a major contribution. We cannot forget that. Put that at the forefront of Councilman Ken Harris.

The tragic irony, said Dixon and others, is that Harris, who was raised by a single mother in Park Heights, was outspoken about public safety and youth issues during his council tenure. Councilwoman Agnes Welch had this to say.

"Ken was a wonderful young man. And he would always consult with other council people before he passed an ordinance or a law that would affect their district, especially for young people. He was always advocating for more police protection for the communities.


Expressing sadness and anger, officials said this seemingly random act of violence could have happened to anyone. Mayor Dixon also blamed the proliferation of illegal guns.

"This senseless crime. It goes back to the guns that we have on our streets. The access to people, and you hear us saying it over and over. As we continue to fight every day to reduce homicides, and we're at the lowest than we were last year, for this to have happened.

Police said The Haven was robbed back in July; and since the methods were similar, they could be dealing with the same suspects. Bealefeld said they left behind potential evidence.

One of the things that we recovered a few blocks away was a mask, a Halloween type mask. That was discarded a few blocks away along with Mr. Covington's wallet.

State senator Joan Carter Conway represents the Northeast Baltimore district where Harris was killed. Her community is mostly stable, she said, but is grappling with a recent spike in drug-related crime.

"In terms of gangs and drug trade, when you remove them from one area they relocate in other areas. Are they viable? No, not necessarily. But they are trying to establish their territories.


Meanwhile, friends of Harris, like former councilman Keiffer Mitchell, are trying to make sense of it all. Mitchell said he'd chatted with Harris a few days before the murder.

"You know we checked in with each other just to see how things were going. That's the kind of friendship we had. And to get this news is unbelievable. I'm in a daze.

Police said they are aggressively working the case. They're urging the public to call 911 with tips.

I'm Donna Marie Owens, reporting in downtown Baltimore, for 88.1, WYPR.
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