Larelle Washington, a 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot in Northeast D.C., was a son, basketball player and aspiring Marine.
All that promise was tragically cut short on Friday. Washington became the latest victim of a wave of gun violence in the District.
The young shooting victim’s father wept as he spoke about his son on Wednesday.
“It’s sad. That was my heart,” father Gerald Newman said, struggling to speak through tears.
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Washington was walking home from KIPP DC College Preparatory on Friday afternoon when some sort of fight occurred at Mount Olivet Road near West Virginia Avenue, police said.
The teen was shot in the head and fell unconscious into the street. He was pronounced dead Tuesday night.
Washington’s father and some friends walked to the murder scene on Wednesday.
“I don’t know why they went and killed Larelle. He wasn’t that type of kid. We never had any type of problems with him, no disrespect levels or anything. We worked hard for my son,” Newman said.
Washington played for the Trinidad neighborhood basketball team since age 10. Coach Anthony Higginbotham called him a “great kid.”
“At the Trinidad Recreation Center I’ve seen a lot, but this one really hit home,” he said.
Washington was a high school senior and wanted to serve the United States as a Marine before he was gunned down, his father said.
