Child's Death Puts Spotlight On Neighborhood Violence

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- The fatal shooting of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes has put the spotlight on a rapidly changing neighborhood in Northwest.

Columbia Heights is newly re-developed and a popular home to young professionals. However, it's also becoming known for its crime problems. Some neighborhood leaders say that that gentrification aggravates those problems.

"Every section of the city in this PSA is a high crime area," said Landy Thompson, a neighborhood leader who founded In Da Streets, Inc. "People are not only practicing crime, they're now succeeding."

Through his gang outreach organization, Thompson works with young people affected by the crime on a daily basis. He says the changing demographics creates a situation where people don't engage with each other and when there is gang activity, that's dangerous.

"People are really scared to engage and confront youth on the streets because there is so much violence going on," he said. "The community as a whole should know that the violence isn't tolerated. We look down on gang activity and if you don't say anything, you pretty much agree to it."

Thompson and fellow neighborhood leaders meet on a regular basis to discuss how they can change that. On Monday night, many of them gathered for a Northwest Columbia Heights Community Association meeting. Representatives from DC Police and DC's Court Services joined residents to talk about concerns.

President Cecilia Jones said that theft from auto happens all the time in the area, and neighbors are also concerned about drugs.

"There's got to be more community involvement and community accountability. Law enforcement and the criminal justice system also needs to remain accountable," she said, adding that the revitalization in Columbia Heights can be a problem for both residents and police when it comes to crime. "There is a lot of inherent danger and yet there is a degree of apathy. People want to turn and look the other way. They don't want to engage. They don't want to get involved. They're afraid. And yet those same people are victims."