12-Year-Old Girl Killed in Baltimore Youth Football Game Shooting Identified

What should have been a joyful day at a youth football homecoming in Baltimore ended in tragedy when gunfire erupted near the field, killing a 12-year-old girl who police say was caught in the crossfire.

The girl has been identified as Khloe Ishway. She was among several people wounded in the shooting at Leon Day Park on Saturday, Oct. 3. Khloe was taken to a hospital but later died from her injuries.

Police said the violence began after two men became involved in an argument believed to be over a parking spot. The dispute escalated, and the two men allegedly opened fire at each other near the park, sending bullets into an area where families and children had gathered for the youth football event.

Khloe was not believed to have been the intended target. A 25-year-old woman was also shot, while two men, ages 23 and 28, later went to hospitals seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. A 35-year-old woman separately sought medical treatment for a graze wound to her back. The adult victims were expected to survive.

For Khloe’s family, the loss has been devastating.

Her mother, Kristin Reese, described her daughter as someone who loved music, dancing and swimming. Her grandmother said Khloe was constantly by her side and called her every day — a routine that suddenly stopped.

“I’m going to miss my baby,” her grandmother said as she mourned the granddaughter she considered her best friend.

Khloe’s mother is now demanding justice, expressing disbelief that a dispute over something as ordinary as a parking space could end with a child losing her life.

The Charm City Buccaneers youth football organization said the shooting did not originate from the football game itself or involve a dispute between the teams. The organization described the incident as an unrelated conflict that escalated near the event.

Baltimore police say the investigation remains active and ongoing. Authorities have been following leads and are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about the suspects to come forward.

For the family, however, no arrest can undo what happened. Khloe was only 12 — and a day that was supposed to be about children, football and community ended with a family mourning a daughter and granddaughter who should have had a lifetime ahead of her.

Source: PEOPLE, Associated Press, CBS Baltimore, WBAL-TV.