Baltimore Police are investigating after a man was fatally shot when he broke into a jewelry store in Canton early Thursday morning.

Officers responded to the 2200 block of Fleet Street around 2:15 a.m., where they found a 39-year-old man unresponsive with gunshot wounds. The man was transported to a nearby hospital and later died, police said.

Police said a preliminary investigation found the shooting may have occurred during a commercial burglary. The man broke into a jewelry store when the property owner shot him, police spokesperson Vernon Davis said.

The 2200 block of Fleet Street is made up mainly of rowhomes, with a handful of businesses nearby, including the jewelry repair store, Stephen Page of Baltimore.

When reached by phone Thursday, Stephen Page declined to comment.

Arch McKown, the vice president of the Baltimore Police Southeastern District Community Relations Council, said the community never wants to see violence, but “every small business owner has the right to feel safe in their own shop.”

“We’re equally saddened that desperation and crime continue to put people in danger,” McKown said. “Our neighborhood deserves better — safer streets, fewer break-ins, and more support for both residents and business owners.”

Homicide detectives are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact them at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.