A man found shot to death inside his home in the Granite community early Tuesday was identified later in the day as Lamont Kareen Blackston, 35, Baltimore County police said.
A relative of Blackston's summoned police to the house on the 10200 block of Harrison Grant Drive, off Granite Road near the borders of Carroll, Howard and Baltimore counties, about 3:35 a.m., and officers found the man there.
Police said it appeared that several assailants met Blackston when he arrived home and forced him into the house. The police statement said the intruders searched the house and then shot Blackston before leaving.
"It is unclear to detectives as to what the suspects were looking for during this crime," the statement said. "Investigators believe that the victim was targeted."
About the same time, the statement went on, a police officer spotted a van coming from the area and tried to stop it near Old Court and Granite roads. The van sped away from the officer, who, not knowing whether it was related to the homicide, began to pursue it. The officer followed the vehicle into Baltimore, where he lost sight of it.
The vehicle was found in the city's Northwest District. Police were trying to determine why the van fled from the officer.
Baltimore Sun reporter Liz F. Kay contributed to this article.
