The man who was shot in the head on Monday afternoon in front of Washington D.C.'s Coolidge High School died late Monday night in the hospital, police confirmed.
The man, identified by police Tuesday afternoon as 36-year-old Michael Gaddis, worked with D.C.'s Safe Passage Safe Blocks initiative.
The man was not on duty when he was shot, police said Monday afternoon. His identity will be revealed once relatives are notified of his death, police said.
The Safe Passage program was created by the District in 2017 "based on concerns around student safety," to help ensure students are safe as they travel to and from school. The program expanded in 2022 to cover more areas of the city.
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Coolidge High School, which the man was shot in front of on Monday, is listed as one of schools within the program's priority areas.
Police added that the man was shot after some kind of dispute.
The nature of that dispute, and the person the Safe Passage worker was arguing with, is still unknown. Police say the mystery shooter drove off.
D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee commented on the case, and the recent number of gun violence incidents in D.C., during a Tuesday news conference about the shooting death of 13-year-old Karon Blake.
"Some argument between somebody over something that nobody needs to die over, ends in gunfire," Contee said.
"We're working right now with community members and the detectives are out right now, even as we speak, following up on different leads and so forth."
Contee acknowledged he had heard rumors that the shooter was also a "violence interrupter," someone whose job it is to help prevent shootings like the one that killed the Safe Passage worker. But Contee says detectives are still working to determine who the suspect is.
"What I will say at this point is we're gonna go where the evidence takes us," Contee said. "The community has been helpful to this point. That investigation continues to progress."
Over 24 hours after the shooting took place, pieces of police tape remain close to the scene. With reminders of the violence that took place near three D.C. public schools still visible, nearby residents are still processing what happened.
"I'm shocked now," said Richard Williams, who lives right across the street from Coolidge High School.
His neighborhood was taped off as police investigated. He was shocked to learn that the victim was a Safe Passage worker.
"Someone is out there to make sure the kids get back and forth to school, when they're dropped off, safe, and to return home safe," said Williams. "And, out of stupidity, someone took it upon them to do what they did. What can I say?"
Contee expressed optimism on Tuesday that investigators would be able to track down the suspect soon. As of Tuesday afternoon, police have not given a description of the suspect, or the getaway car.
