WASHINGTON — A 6-year-old girl was killed and five adults were wounded late Friday in what officials have classified as a drive-by shooting.
The executive assistant D.C. police chief, Ashan Benedict, told WRC-TV that officers heard shots fired at about 11 p.m. outside a liquor store and convenience store at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X avenues and then saw people rushing toward them.
**reposted w/o audio interference** 7.17.21 Executive Assistant Chief Benedict provides on-scene briefing of shooting incident at 2900 block of MLK Ave SE pic.twitter.com/NAfwOF1IqV
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 17, 2021
Police confirmed to The Washington Post station that the child, identified as Nyiah Courtney, as well as two women and three men were all shot. Nyiah was rushed to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The identities of the adult victims have not been made public because they are considered witnesses to the shootings, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee told WRC-TV.
Today our city is heartbroken. A child’s life was taken, and there is no way to make sense of the callousness or cruelty.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) July 17, 2021
We will never accept gun violence as normal, & we must never allow people to get away with murdering our children. If you have information, please share it. pic.twitter.com/ZHGmWGVVBo
Investigators believe that the shooter fled in a gray or silver four-door sedan, of which they released video on Saturday. It remained unclear Saturday night if police were searching for one or multiple suspects, the TV station reported.
“We’re asking... that everyone post that video far and wide,” Contee told WRC-TV. “That car should not be able to be in the DMV area anywhere and not be noticed. Someone in the community has seen that car operating, yesterday, perhaps today, and I’m asking justice for Nyiah. Let’s find that car, and let’s find the individuals responsible.”
No motive in the shooting has been provided, and it remained unclear Saturday whether any of the victims had been a target of the gunfire, the Post reported.
A $60,000 reward is being offered in the case.
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