James Skarda IV,Ricky Stem Obituary, Death; – Baltimore County Police have identified two men who were discovered fatally shot in Dundalk on Monday, an incident that is currently being examined as a potential murder-suicide.
The man who was fatally shot has been identified as 35-year-old James Skarda IV. The individual believed to be the shooter, 37-year-old Ricky Stem, succumbed to what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. According to a spokesperson, authorities are looking into whether the two men were acquainted.
Officials reported that police received a call regarding the shooting at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Monday, in the 8200 block of Bullneck Road, a residential area characterized by single-family homes. Upon their arrival, officers found Skarda outside with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers located Stem in a vehicle at the intersection of Dundalk Avenue and Liberty Parkway, which is a five-minute drive from the location where Skarda was found. According to police, Stem had inflicted a gunshot wound on himself and was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died.
As per police records, there have been 18 homicide victims in Baltimore County this year. This event follows a murder-suicide that occurred in Owings Mills a few months prior.
A representative from Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported that 59-year-old Karen Franklin was a victim of homicide, while her husband, 63-year-old Gary Franklin, died by suicide. Baltimore County Police were summoned to their residence in the 3500 block of Avery Hill Drive after 4 p.m. on April 3 due to an ongoing assault. Upon their arrival, they discovered the couple deceased with gunshot wounds.
