Boy, 13, shot dead by homeowner in Washington DC after he was ‘seen breaking into a car’
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A 13-year-old boy in Washington DC was shot and killed by a homeowner who claimed he was getting into cars. The community demands that the identity of the shooter be revealed.
Karon Blake was fatally shot with a legally registered firearm on Quincy Street around 4 a.m. on January 7 by an unidentified homeowner who heard noises outside her home and thought someone was “tampering with a vehicle,” DC police reported.
The teen and the man reportedly had a confrontation before the shooting occurred, and after shooting him, the homeowner performed CPR.
Blake, who was found by police with multiple gunshot wounds and believed to be unarmed, was taken to hospital, where he later died.
Two other youths are suspected to have fled the scene after being approached by the homeowner.
Police also said they found a stolen car in the area and believed the Brookland high school student had used it, according to NBC Washington.
Karon Blake, 13, of Washington DC, was fatally shot by an unidentified homeowner on January 7. Blake and the man reportedly clashed before Blake was shot multiple times.
Despite the tragedy, the boy’s school remembers him as an intelligent and inquisitive young student who was often found with a book under his arm.
Now, the local community is demanding that the identity of the owner be revealed and that he be charged with murder.
DC police have said they are speaking with the US Attorney’s Office to decide whether to dismiss the charges. Identities are typically not released until charges are filed, but community members are demanding a name now.
“Vigilante behavior is not the way to do it,” said Frankie Seabron, a member of the DC Security Squad, an activist group. “We really should value people more than we value property.”
DC Security Squad Nee Nee Taylor told the Washington Post: ‘We can’t normalize that people feel that bringing a gun to a carjacking or carjacking, or anything related to property, is a solution to decrease crime.’
Councilman Zachary Parker of Ward 5 agreed, writing in a statement: “No car or material possession is worth a life, under any circumstances.” I join the residents of the 5th District in calling on the Metropolitan Police Department and the US Attorney’s Office to hold the individual who took Karon’s life to account.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the US Attorney’s Office are discussing whether to bring charges against the man, who has not been named.
“The healing of our community is tied to the trust we can cultivate with those tasked with keeping us safe, and I believe our neighbors have a right to know more about the circumstances of Karon’s death.”
Former DC State Board of Education District 8 member Markus Batchelor wrote, “Karon Blake should be alive and her killer should be in jail.”
Councilwoman Brooke Pinto wrote: ‘I am outraged [and] disgusted by the shooting of the 13th [year old] Karon Blake. I have spoken with MPD Asst. Chief [and] We will continue the investigation to ensure justice is served, even though we will never be able to get this child’s life back. The weapon has been recovered. My condolences to the Blake family.
Democratic DC Mayor Muriel Bowser also commented on the incident, saying Monday: “We would rather talk about a 13-year-old going to school today than talk about him being killed on our streets.” And I’m incredibly sad about it.
He encouraged those who witnessed crimes to call 911.
The DC community and beyond are demanding justice for the teen and asking police to reveal the identity of the owner.
“I understand that people have the right to protect their property, but to go out there and shoot someone who’s not doing anything to you, I don’t think that’s acceptable,” Chia Ukeekwe told NBC Washington.
‘[Blake lost his life] for nothing, really,” another resident, James Dickens, whose grandson attended the same school as Blake, told the outlet. “We’re living in some crazy times right now.”
Florida State Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost also supported the community, writing on Twitter; ‘You can replace a car, you can’t replace a child. Karon Blake should be alive.
Despite the tragedy, the boy’s school remembers him as an intelligent and inquisitive young student who was often found with a book under his arm.
Wendy Hamilton, who works at Blake’s school, said the young scholar often walked his younger siblings to and from a nearby elementary school and helped a classmate learn to play basketball, according to the Washington Post.
A bouquet of flowers was hung on a post with a note reading, “Karon, we love you and miss you so much.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser (pictured) said she was “saddened” by the story and encouraged residents to call 911 if they witness a crime.
He also said that Blake liked to be hugged and was “very comfortable with who he was.”
High school student Kynnedee Shaw, 11, said she saw Blake on Friday while they were waiting together for their parents to pick them up and he told her he would see her on Monday.
He described his classmate as “fun, easygoing and playful.”
Shaw said she found out about his death when her friend Face-Timed her to let her know.
“I just want to know why,” he told the Washington Post. ‘Why did this happen to him?’
DC crime increased 46 percent compared to the same period last year. Six homicides have already occurred in the district since January 1.