18-Year-Old Fatally Shot, 13-Year-Old Wounded During Violent Weekend in DC

A young man was killed and a 13-year-old boy was among those injured during a violent weekend in the District.

Police say 18-year old Saoun Coplins was fatally shot in Southeast D.C. on Saturday, and at least five other shootings were reported.

Coplins, of Northeast D.C., was found with a gunshot wound in the 3000 block of Stanton Road SE about 9:10 p.m. He was taken to a hospital, but life-saving efforts failed, police said.

Just over an hour later, about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, a juvenile male was found shot in the 1500 block of Alabama Avenue SE. His injuries were not life-threatening. He was taken to a hospital.

About an hour after that, a 13-year-old boy was shot in the 4500 block of Douglas Street NE in the Kenilworth neighborhood.

The boy was outside with friends and was eating a slice of pizza  when two men in hoodies showed up and opened fire.

One neighbor, Gwendolyn Allen-Morton, said she heard about five or six shots and believed the boy was struck in three places, although she only saw one wound on his side.

Neighbors used clothes to stop the bleeding and thought an ambulance was taking too long, so they drove the teen to the hospital themselves.

"Everybody was getting worried that the little boy was losing too much blood," Allen-Morton said. "So they kept sticking shirts, jackets and stuff in his side."

The fire department said the ambulance arrived five minutes after it was dispatched.

"The little boy was bleeding so bad, we didn't want him to die right there, so they took him up, they got him in the car and put him in the car," Allen-Morton said.

The boy remained in the hospital Monday night. He is expected to survive.

George Matthews, a retired police officer who has lived in the neighborhood for 24 years, said his van has been shot three times and that he's ready to move.

"I'm getting ready to get out of here," he said Monday. "I can't take it no more."

There was one other shooting Saturday evening, about 8:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Riggs Road NE, as well as a shooting about 5 p.m. Friday in the 2100 block of Alabama Ave. SE and about 8:45 p.m. Friday in the 900 block of Southern Avenue SE. There was no information immediately available on the number of victims or their conditions. 

No arrests have been made in any of these cases.

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