Father of one killed and at least 20 others injured when MULTIPLE gunmen open fire at Washington DC block party
A TEENAGE father has been killed and at least 20 others injured, including an off-duty police officer, after a shootout broke out during a block party in Washington DC early Sunday. Multiple shooters are responsible for the attack that killed 17-year-old Christopher Brown and wounded many more, police said. One police officer is “struggling for […]
A TEENAGE father has been killed and at least 20 others injured, including an off-duty police officer, after a shootout broke out during a block party in Washington DC early Sunday.
Multiple shooters are responsible for the attack that killed 17-year-old Christopher Brown and wounded many more, police said.
One police officer is “struggling for her life right now” following the shooting which happened shortly after midnight, said DC Police Chief Peter Newsham.
Police are searching for at least three suspects, who opened fire from different locations at the gathering in the Greenway neighborhood but Newsham said he believes “it’s probably more”, CNN reported.
The mass shooting occurred in the 3300 block of Dubois Place SE, and police said the crime scene extended for several more blocks as victims scattered.
Eleven of the victims are women and at least seven of those injured were taken to hospitals in “critical condition”, according to fire officials.
Gatherings of more than 50 people are currently prohibited in DC, and the party, in the southeast of Washington, saw hundreds attend.
There were officers at the scene but they were unable to disperse the gathering due to the large crowd, Newsham said.
“There were not sufficient officers to be able to move a crowd of that size,” he added.
Reporter Megan Rivers, who works for WUSA9, was one of the first media at the scene.
“Neighbors say there was a big block party here yesterday that started around 5,” she tweeted. “Blocks of streets were crowded with people. They tell us they heard multiple gunshots.
“We just spoke to a few party goers, one who was injured running away from the shooting scene. He claims police [were] here, monitoring the party and shortly after the left, the shooting happened.”
According to Rivers, Brown leaves behind a one-year-old son, called Elijah.
In an interview with press, Brown’s mother Artecka said she had “no idea” how she was going to pick up the pieces.
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“It’s a really really sad day,” the 33-year-old said. “Words cannot explain.
“I don’t know where to begin. We are supposed to have our kids burying us, not the other way around.”
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said: “It is very important that as a community we have zero tolerance for this activity.”