A D.C. mother says she is desperate to get her family out of their violent neighborhood after two of her sons were shot just months apart.
“It’s rough because you don’t know when to duck and dodge from bullets,” Ebonee Hill said. “You don’t know if you’re going to be able to walk to your car.”
For the past six years, Hill has been raising her seven children near Kenilworth Avenue in Northeast.
Her 13-year-old son was talking to a friend in the 4500 block of Douglas Street NE just yards away from his home when he was shot Saturday evening. Hill said a bullet struck his spine and he may not be able to walk again.
“How do I explain to my son that it’s a strong possibility that he could never ride a bike again, you know what I’m saying?” Hill said. “He could never do the normal things all because he was speaking to some friends.”
What makes it worse for her is this is the second time one of her sons was shot.
On Valentine’s Day, her 12-year-old son was shot in the back when leaving a playground near their home.
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“Physically he’s doing fine but mentally he’s not,” Hill said.
Since then, Hill has been pleading with her apartment complex to relocate her, but she’s not waiting for them anymore. She’s going to do whatever it takes to move her family, calling it a matter of life and death.
“Everybody can’t afford to buy houses and live in the nice areas,” she said. “Everybody can’t afford that. Why we can’t feel safe anywhere?”
