A 17-year-old boy died after he was shot in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Northwest D.C. on Sunday.
Jabari Malloy was the victim.
Family members say he was a funny young man who liked spending time with friends and family and watching scary movies. He was preparing to enter D.C.’s Job Corps with hopes to become an HVAC operator and help provide for his family.
He was shot in an alley in the 700 block of Lamont Street NW. Officers responded at about 7:35 p.m. and Malloy was pronounced dead at the scene.
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“I just literally haven’t stopped crying. It’s like I’m breathing but I’m suffocating at the same time,” his aunt Sade Malloy said.
“It was senseless because he wasn’t in the streets or anything. He took his cousins to school, to basketball practice, and supported them in their games,” his cousin Myamee Malloy said. “I started losing my sight a couple of years ago, so he was really helpful with me around the house.”
His family said they’re angry about the gun violence that has destroyed so many families in D.C.
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“They need to have more police presence and get people off the streets who have guns, especially guns that are not registered, that are not licensed,” Myamee Malloy said as she cried.
“He just enjoyed the idea of making people proud. He just felt like he was dealt a terrible hand,” Sade Malloy said.
Jabari Malloy attended Cornerstone High School in Southeast D.C. before transferring to another school. Cornerstone’s executive director conveyed the school community’s condolences.
“Jabari was a beloved son of Cornerstone and was a beloved member of our school during his 9th and 10th grade years. He was very connected with the staff, and his classmates. We were sad to see him transition to another school. He was a beloved member of our community,” a statement said in part.
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Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police. A reward of up to $25,000 is available.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
