A little boy was shot and wounded on a sidewalk in Southeast D.C. Saturday evening when someone opened fire, police said.
The child, who sources said was no older than 7 years old, was shot on the 3100 block of Bruce Place SE, about a half-mile northeast of the Congress Heights Metro station. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded about 5:30 p.m.
The child was shot in the shoulder and rushed to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The boy was not believed to be the intended target of the shooter or shooters.
Anthia Atwell said she was at a baby shower inside a nearby church when she heard more than a dozen shots ring out. She and local leaders called for improvements in policing in Ward 8.
"They need more patrolling, more police patrolling and coverage because ... there's a lot of kids out here that live behind the church," she said.
Ward 8 Council Member LaRuby May called on D.C. police to crack down on violent crime.
"Something's got to change. We've got to call for some changes with MPD and with the way that the city is approaching and addressing crime in our community," she said. "This is just unacceptable."
Anthony Muhammad, chairman of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8E, said Ward 8 is neglected by District leaders.
"Shootings every day in Ward 8 and no one is concerned about what is happening to the poor in Ward 8," he said.
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ANC 8B Commissioner Paul Trantham called on police to get guns off the street.
"We need people out here that [have the] experience and know-how on how to get these guns up out of our community," he said.
No information on a suspect or suspects had been released by Sunday morning. Police spent the morning knocking on doors in the area.
#breaking. Police search wood line at scene where boy was shot and wounded 12th Place in SE DC. @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/9Fxaud0rDN — Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) May 14, 2016
The @DCPoliceDept search for evidence where a young boy was shot in 12th Place SE. @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/pzeqTy7PdR — Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) May 14, 2016
