The baby girl of a pregnant woman shot and killed in Columbia on July 31 has died.
Rabiah Ahmad, 30, was 28 weeks pregnant when she was shot while inside a residence in the 6600 block of Dovecote Drive. She was transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center where she later died. Doctors delivered her baby girl, Ahja, who remained in critical condition until she died Aug. 5.
At approximately 11 p.m. on July 31, police responded to the Dovecote address, where numerous unrelated people reside, for a report of several gunshots. Police discovered that multiple bullets had been fired into the house from the outside. Ahmad, who had been staying at the residence for the last few months, was struck once; no one else was injured.
Detectives are working to determine who inside the house may have been the intended target. Investigators have doubled the reward to up to $10,000 for information in the case.
Once a suspect or suspects are identified, police will consult with the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office to determine any and all applicable charges, as is standard practice.
While there is no evidence at this stage of the investigation indicating that Ahmad was targeted or that the crime was racially-motivated, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is providing support to her family, who is Muslim, by offering an additional reward: CAIR news release.
Anyone who may have seen or heard something in the area, or has any other information, is urged to contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov. Callers may remain anonymous.
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