Baltimore's mayor takes to stage to RAP in bucket hat at music festival while his crime-ridden city is plagued with four horrific deaths in just two hours

By LAURA PARNABY, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:29, 22 June 2026 | Updated: 20:33, 22 June 2026 While the city of Baltimore grappled with a series of deadly weekend incidents that occurred within hours of each other, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott turned his attention to the performing arts.  Video circulating on social media showed Scott taking the microphone at The Douglass Lounge, where he rapped to the crowd on Sunday.  The Democrat mayor's musical performance occurred as Baltimore Police investigated several deaths across the city, including two vehicle-related killings and two fatal stabbings.  A three-year-old girl died in a hit-and-run after being struck by a vehicle allegedly driven by a 14-year-old who authorities said stole the car from a family member.  In a separate incident, a 56-year-old woman was stabbed to death. Police said a 50-year-old suspect was taken into custody. Elsewhere, a 19-year-old man died after being hit by a vehicle while riding a scooter, while a 24-year-old man was fatally shot inside a local business.  Baltimore experienced a steep surge in some types of crime in 2026, reversing the decline seen in the years before, according to figures analyzed by the Baltimore Sun.  This included an 11.3 percent rise in aggravated assaults up to June 8, 2026, compared with the same period in 2025, and a 4.7 percent rise in nonfatal shootings. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has been filmed rapping on stage at a local music festival over the weekend, while the city grappled with a series of deadly incidents The appearance came as Baltimore Police investigated several tragic deaths across the city, including two vehicle-related killings and two fatal stabbings  Other crimes, meanwhile, stayed the same or declined, including violent crimes, of which 3,611 were recorded - the same as the previous year - while burglaries were down 10.8 percent and robberies down 14.3 percent.  Homicides were down a whopping 23.6 percent - a major achievement for the city once known as America's murder capital.  Baltimore's homicide rate fell by roughly 60 percent between 2022 and 2025, according to a recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research.  This included a record month in April when only five homicides were recorded throughout the city - the fewest in a single month since records began in 1970.  The Maryland city also recorded its lowest homicide rate in nearly 15 years in 2024, with 201 homicides marking a dramatic 12 percent decrease from 2023 and a staggering 41 percent drop from 2021 levels. 'This continued progress is a direct result of our comprehensive violence prevention plan, and all who are working in partnership to reduce violence in Baltimore,' Scott said in a statement at the time.  'That includes the men and women of the Baltimore Police Department, the entire community violence intervention ecosystem, the Attorney General, the State's Attorney, and most importantly, the people of Baltimore.  'This is progress, but we aren't stopping to celebrate. Five homicides in April is still five too many - and we will continue to use all tools at our disposal to prevent violence and save lives. Baltimore deserves nothing less.' Scott (pictured) announced April had the fewest ever recorded homicides in a single month for the city since officials started keeping records in 1970 Baltimore has dramatically reinvented itself with a new identity as an up-and-coming hotspot for luxury hotels and foodie hotspots Maryland as a whole is becoming safer too, with statewide homicides falling from 519 in 2023 to 455 in 2024, while violent crimes plummeted from 1,190 to 891 during the same period.  A recent report from U.S. News & World Report no longer included Baltimore among the most dangerous places in America. The digital media company released its Most Dangerous Places in the U.S. 2024-2025 list and normally Baltimore would be in the Top 25 but this year it didn't make the cut. The list is compiled based on a city's murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people. Charm City was once home to some of the country's highest crime rates, earning it the title of America's 'murder capital' and a reputation as the crime-ridden city portrayed in HBO's hit series 'The Wire.' Scott has served as the mayor since 2020.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.