A 23-year-old man died last night at Maryland Shock Trauma Center, shortly after being shot while driving his car on a street a few blocks from his West Baltimore home, city police reported.

Edward Fowlkes was driving a Ford Crown Victoria south in the 1900 block of Wheeler Ave. about 5 p.m. when an unknown assailant fired at least one shot through the driver's side window, striking him in the chest, said homicide Detective Ray Laslett. The car drifted several yards before striking a fence, he added.

Fowlkes, of the 1700 block of Thomas Ave., was taken by ambulance to Shock Trauma, where he died shortly before 5:30 p.m. Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call Laslett at 410-396-2100.