A 13-year-old boy was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. His family is outraged no arrest has been made
A 13-year-old boy was killed in Washington, D.C. after a man allegedly thought he was tampering with cars and pulled a gun on him, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.
After receiving reports of gunshots, police arrived on the scene on Quincy Street at approximately 3:56 a.m. on Jan. 7 and found the teen, Karon Blake, who is Black, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A man inside a residence heard noises outside and saw what he thought was someone tampering with cars, police said. The man told police he went outside with a registered firearm to investigate, police said. Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee III did not identify the man, but said during a news conference he is Black.
After an interaction with Blake, the man fired the gun, hitting the teen, police said.
The man has not been charged and the police department's homicide branch is currently working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to review the facts and any potential criminal charges, the department said.
Police have been criticized for not releasing the name of the suspect or bringing charges against him. During a meeting with city council members on Tuesday night, several members of the community spoke about their frustrations, including Blake's grandfather, Sean Long, according to CBS affiliate WUSA.
"I didn't know you could get a gun permit and shoot someone for messing with a car," he said. "I'm Black, if I were to kill a White boy on that street, they would've put me under the jail." Long also questioned why police did not arrest the shooter at the scene.
After the meeting, a few dozen people took to the streets to demand "Justice for Karon," reports WUSA's John Henry.
In an interview with WUSA, Blake's grandfather said the family was worried they wouldn't get justice. "Sad, depressed and mad, because this should never had happened like this," Long said.
"Thirteen years old, you shouldn't be outside. They're right, you shouldn't be outside," Long said. "But that doesn't give you the right to kill anybody."
Members of the neighborhood are accusing the shooter of vigilante justice, and Contee said in a presser the way neighbors are going after the suspect could threaten the case.
There are now flyers posted in the neighborhood by a so-called "DC Safety Squad," calling on the Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Lindsey Appiah to name the man and release video of photo evidence. "We have compiled the names and identities of all homeowners on the street and we intend to be able to identify Karon's murderer," the flyer reads.
Those flyers, apparently created by neighbors, are making the situation more dangerous, Contee said. "People are making assumptions and searching for people that are not involved. People are making allegations centered around race, and that is wrong," Contee said during a news conference about the incident on Tuesday.
Contee spoke about misinformation being spread about the case. "There's been too much misinformation swirling around this incident, too many people have made assumptions about this case and it is unfair to the grieving family," he said. "Spreading of inaccurate information is dangerous, reckless and has the potential to adversely impact the investigation and the relationships in our community."
