Brooklyn

A man died after being shot in the head in Brooklyn early Saturday, less than 12 hours after a dead man was found in an alley less than a block away, police said. Investigators do not think the two deaths are not related, said Det. Kevin Brown, a spokesman for the Baltimore City Police Department. The first man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at about 6:30 p.m. Friday in a rear alley off of the 700 block of E. Patapsco Ave. Police labeled the death "suspicious" but have not released word yet on "signs of trauma or suspected foul play," Brown said.

Two men were shot in separate incidents Sunday in Baltimore, police said, and both were expected to survive their injuries. In the first incident, a man was shot in the leg in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Baltimore on Sunday afternoon, police said. He was shot in the 3900 block of 8th street about 1:50 p.m. In the second incident, in the Hollins Market neighborhood, police responded to the 1200 block of West Lombard Street about 8:15 p.m. for a report of a shooting. They found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg. He was taken to a local hospital.

Bruce C. Ratner, the Cleveland-born developer who wants to move the New Jersey Nets to an arena in downtown Brooklyn, reached tentative agreement yesterday to acquire the team for $300 million, defeating a similar offer by Charles Kushner and Sen. Jon S. Corzine. "We're in the final stages of negotiating an agreement with Bruce Ratner," said Edwin Stier, president of Community Youth Organization, the Nets' ownership group. "The contract terms have been finalized, and we're putting the paperwork together."

Baltimore police were investigating a shooting Friday night on the 600 block of Cherrycrest Road in Brooklyn. An adult female was reportedly shot. No other information was immediately available. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

An early-morning fire in Brooklyn sent four people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, including one firefighter and three occupants of the house. According to Baltimore City Fire Department Chief Kevin Cartwright, the one-alarm fire broke out about 4:20 a.m. in a dwelling in the 800 block of Glade Court in Brooklyn. According to Cartwright, units responded to find a two-story dwelling with smoke and fire visible, and crews put out the fire by 4:35 a.m. Cartwright said one adult and two children suffered mild smoke inhalation, were evaluated at the scene and transported to Harbor Hospital for additional treatment.

Three IronBirds hurlers combined to toss a five-hit-shutout on Monday night, helping Aberdeen end a five-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory over the Cyclones in Brooklyn. Aberdeen starter Sebastian Vader (1-4) got his first win, going six innings. He surrendered five hits, struck out two and walked five. Jose Nivar tossed two innings out of the bullpen, holding the Cyclones to a pair of hits, striking out one and walking a pair. IronBirds closer Tom Winegardner got his first save by tossing a perfect ninth inning, striking out two of the three hitters he faced.

A 91-year-old man died after he was struck by a pickup truck in Brooklyn while riding a mobility scooter, according to Anne Arundel County Police. According to the initial investigation, Charles Oliver Fretwell Sr. of Brooklyn was traveling southbound on Hammonds Lane and crossed toward Upland Street when he was struck by a Toyota Tundra driven by Frances James Hall, 58, of Baltimore, police said. Fretwell had been in the crosswalk, said Lt. Frank Tewey, Anne Arundel County Police spokesman.

The Death Set's upward rise in the last five years, as electric and spazzoid as its own music, was zapped two years ago when founding member Beau Velasco died of a drug overdose. But Johnny Siera, the group's other founder, still pressed ahead. In March, the Death Set released a new album, "Michel Poiccard," that was inspired by Velasco's death. "It's trying to celebrate his presence and his life rather than mourn it," said Siera, who performs two shows Saturday at the Windup Space with drummer Jahphet Landis and guitarist Dan Walker.

Harbor Hospital Center will sponsor a dedication ceremony for the opening of the Greater Brooklyn Center on Aug. 28.Tours of the new center will begin at 5 p.m., and light refreshments will be served.The center, a cooperative effort of Harbor Hospital and various commu-nity groups, will provide adult and pediatric primary care services.

Man awakens to find his home burglarizedA Brooklyn Park man told county police that his home was burglarized Monday morning by someone who entered through the kitchen door, authorities said.The thieves apparently raised an unlocked kitchen window, then reached in and unlocked the adjacent kitchen door sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., Ray Joseph Shadle, 19, told police.Reported stolen were an $890 Sharp color television set, a $260 videocassette recorder and other items worth $180, police said.

Brooklyn Brewery is on the road. The New York-based brewery is in the middle of an 11-city tour that began in Austin, Texas, before moving on to New Orleans, Nashville, Tenn., and Boston. The traveling event is a benefit for Slow Food USA. It's Baltimore's turn. The Brooklyn Brewery Mash: Adventures in Food, Film, Music, Books and Beer is in Baltimore through Sunday for a week of parties, comedy, concerts, pop-up supper clubs and readings. Among the six days of activities are a few food highlights.

When Maryland opened the season five months ago against defending national champion Kentucky at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the Terps were full of the hype and hope that comes when many expect a team to find its way to the NCAA tournament. After a down-to-the-buzzer loss to the Wildcats that preceded a school record-tying 13-game winning streak, Mark Turgeon's team lost its way. There were times last month when even a National Invitation Tournament bid seemed in doubt.

The Terps men's basketball team will play its first game next season on Nov. 8 against Connecticut at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., sources said Friday night. It will mark the second straight year that Maryland opens its season at the venue. The Terps lost, 72-69, to Kentucky on Nov. 9 to start this season. Sophomore center Alex Len led the Terps with 23 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to the Wildcats, while sophomore guard Nick Faust added 11 points. Connecticut, which served a one-year postseason ban this season due to low Academic Progress Rate scores, finished tied for seventh in the Big East Conference during the regular season.

Former Terps coach Gary Williams was honored today at the ACC tournament as an "ACC Legend. " Williams was introduced at Greensboro Coliseum during halftime of the Miami-N.C. State semifinal game. Williams waved to the crowd and gave a modified fist pump in the direction of the Maryland section -- his trademark. Other "legends" included former N.C. State guard Dereck Whittenburg and former Georgia Tech guard Mark Price. Supporters of Williams and former Maryland coach Lefty Driesell believe they should be in the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Mount St. Mary's certainly looked the part of a rebuilding program as it limped to a 2-6 start in Northeast Conference play this year. Coming off an 8-21 season a year ago, the slow start in NEC play this winter seemed predictable to just about everyone other than first-year coach Jamion Christian, who issued his team a challenge after a 76-68 loss at Robert Morris on Jan. 26. "We set a goal … to be the best [NEC] team the last 10 regular-season games," Christian said Monday.

Tara Lonergan and Sydney Henderson each scored 10 points to lead host Mount St.Mary's to a 51-39 win over LIU Brooklyn on Monday night that clinches  a spot in the Northeast Conference women's basketball tournament. After a sluggish start to the first half, the Mount scored five points in the final minute to take a 19-17 lead at the break.  Jessie Kaufman drained a 3-pointer and Henderson scored a basket in the paint to give the Mountaineers (13-14, 9-7 Northeast Conference) their only lead in the opening half.

AS BALTIMORE knows, it's no fun losing a professional sports team. But at least the city got some sympathy when it happened. My hometown of Pittsfield, Mass., should be so lucky. Amid all the feel-good celebration of baseball's return to Brooklyn, one inconvenient fact has been overlooked. The Brooklyn Cyclones, the Single-A New York Mets farm team that is now playing to sellout crowds beside the famed old Parachute Jump, are not, as many media odes to the Cyclones would have you believe, an entirely new creation.

A Halethorpe man whom police said struck another man in the head 24 times with a hatchet was convicted in Baltimore County Circuit Court Thursday night, according to the state's attorney's office. After a four-day trial, a jury found Larry Eugene Horton, 38, guilty in the death of Ryan Wesley Jackson, 18, whose body was found in Brooklyn Oct. 15. Horton's attorney, Donald C. Wright, said "we're disappointed by the verdict. " Horton had claimed he was acting in self-defense when he said Jackson, who sold him crack cocaine, was there to collect a drug debt.