WASHINGTON — A little more than a week after a 15-month-old was killed in a car during a shooting, another baby has been involved in a car shooting in D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department said. This time, the baby was uninjured, but the driver of the car was shot and killed.
Around 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, DC Police responded to reports of a car crash near the intersection of Benning Road and 21st Street Northeast. Police said they found a man fatally shot, who they confirmed was driving when he was shot. The baby was found uninjured in the back seat of the car. DC Police have not released any information on the age or gender of the baby.
DC Street Car service was temporarily halted due to police activity on Benning Road between 21st and 19th streets.
This is the second baby to be involved in a car shooting in the past 10 days. WUSA9 asked DC Police what they think is contributing to the rise in violence.
"We can’t speculate as to why there is an increase in homicides this year," an MPD statement said. "We can say that this pandemic has not changed the behaviors of our most violent offenders as they continue to resolve disputes by shooting each other. Many of the victims and suspects involved in these cases have prior violent and weapons offenses. It’s these repeat violent offenders that continue to drive up our violent crime trends."
Northeast D.C. resident Aaron Wells said he heard the shooting from a few blocks away.
He said he fears shooters are becoming bolder in their actions. Wells said he never recalled people shooting around children when he was growing up.
"You wouldn't shoot into a car where it had a kid, or if it was Sunday, or if you had some elderly person in the car," he said. "But, right now, these kids don't care about nothing."
Wells said he is concerned the number of shootings in the District may become even worse this winter.
“All this COVID stuff is going on, people are losing their jobs," he said. "Things are going to get worse than this."
On Dec. 2, 15-month-old Carmelo Duncan died from gunshot wounds while sitting in his father’s car around 10 p.m. in the area of 57th Street and Southern Avenue, Southeast. The toddler was in the car with his father and another child when the vehicle was struck by multiple bullets while moving down Southern Avenue. Police Chief Peter Newsham later said he believed the shooting may have been targeted.
Police say they are searching for a 2011 dark-colored BMW X5 SUV. The vehicle was last known to bear a Virginia temporary tag number of G51179, though DC Police noted that it is unknown if that tag is still on the vehicle.
Newsham believes an illegal firearm was used in this shooting. He said Carmelo's father is cooperating to an extent that he can for the investigation.
"We need everybody's help to bring justice," Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a news conference. "And to get a very dangerous person off the streets."
Authorities say no suspects have been arrested in connection to the shooting. Police asked that if anyone has information in any of the open cases, call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.
DC Police said there have been at least 194 murders in the District. Carmelo was the youngest victim this year, according to Newsham.
Three days after Carmelo was killed, a 2-year-old boy was shot in the foot inside a Montgomery Village, Maryland home, according to a release from Montgomery County Police, who said they’re investigating the circumstances of how the little boy was shot. Police said the child did not live at the Brassie Place address and they are still determining if the shooting was an accident or a criminal act.
According to Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks American gun violence, more children under the age of 12 have been killed or injured by guns in the United States so far this year than in the last seven years the organization has been tracking the shooting statistic.
In the seven-year span the organization has been tracking gun violence, five children under the age of 12 were killed by guns in D.C., while guns killed 20 Maryland children and 49 children lost their lives before the age of 12 to gun violence in Virginia.
