19 People Shot Over The Weekend In Baltimore.

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A call for action by city leaders and city residents after a bloody weekend in Baltimore. Nineteen people shot, eight dead in just two days.

Mike Hellgren speaks with the commissioner and community leaders.

A teenager died in a spray of bullets. Several other people were injured. The commissioner tells WJZ he has some strong leads. He called the violence across the city unacceptable, and tried to reassure people the department is on top of it.

Baltimore’s police commissioner embraced the mother-in-law of one of eight people murdered in the city over the weekend. One of a staggering 19 people shot.

“I’m just scared. I want to move. I just want to get away from around here. I just want to live somewhere in peace,” said Joanna Harbell, victim’s mother-in-law.“Whoever did this, I just hope they catch them. Because it’s going to be on their conscience. They’re not going to live with it, and they’re not going to get away with it,” she continued.

The commissioner walked the block, with TV cameras in tow, and defended his crime-fighting strategy.

“It’s guns and gangs is our focus. That hasn’t changed for us. We will stay on top of violent repeat offenders,” said Commissioner Anthony Batts, Baltimore City Police.

“This is a spike. We will respond to the spike, and we will be very assertive about responding to the spike,” he continued.

“I’ve seen the transformation of this community,” said Glen Ross, McElderry Park Community Association.

Glenn Ross is a community activist in McElderry Park, and says much of the violence stems from drug wars.

“Now, you have these grown men that’s getting children to hold their drugs, their money and their weapons,” he said. “What people need to realize, it’s everybody’s problem. Recognize homicide is an epidemic. This is really a disease that’s tearing our neighborhoods apart.”Tanya Waller, whose cousin was gunned down, is fed up–and wants action.

“That’s my blood they took from us. That was my little cousin,” she said. “I’m tired of the violence. It needs to stop. We need to come together. We’re hurting one another. It’s time to stop.”

But she’s not sure if it ever will.

The commissioner said he’s going to be working more closely with Maryland State Police and also the U.S. Attorney’s Office to target the worst violent repeat offenders.

The city’s murder rate was about the same as this time last year before the spike in violence over the weekend.