WASHINGTON — Authorities are hoping an increased reward payment will help find who is responsible for the death of a 3-year-old girl in D.C. on Friday.
Police, the FBI and the ATF are coming together to offer a $50,000 reward for anyone who can provide information about the shooting death of Ty'ah Settles.
But family and friends said that is still not enough. They'd like to see the reward increased to at least $100,000.
"The family wants closure as quickly as possible," said Joseph Johnson Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 8B05. "And the community, they just don't talk to talk. You have to give them something worthwhile to talk for."
Police say the shooting happened on Friday just after 9 p.m. in the 2300 block of Hartford Street, Southeast. Shortly after the shooting, Ty'ah was found at a fire station. She was airlifted to a hospital, where she died.
Investigators say she was in a car when she was shot.
"Let me say how tragic an incident this is," Mayor Muriel Bowser said at an event Monday. "And I feel like a broken record when I say that, because unfortunately I had to talk to you about children who should be with us but because people are brazen and use guns....she's not. So we as a community have to say, enough is enough for people who have guns and use guns in our community."
"What does she want us to say?" 30-year resident and former ANC Commissioner Betty Sippio said to WUSA9. "Enough is enough, Muriel Bowser! Its not fair for mothers and fathers to lose their kids or for us to lose our parents or our own life!"
Sippio added that while she has been a staunch supporter of Bowser for years, she's reaching her breaking point.
"Muriel Bowser, I have supported you in every way that I could possibly could, but this time I cannot support you -- we are over here dying," Sippio said to WUSA9. "The blood is on her hands."
Ty'ah's godfather, Bernard Brown, set up a memorial for the little girl where the shooting happened.
“Ty’ah, she was a great young child," Brown said. "She had the smarts of a 7-year-old. She was very smart.”
A bright spot in Brown’s life senselessly taken.
“We loved her very much," he said.
Her family is in disbelief and praying for justice.
“She didn’t deserve this," Brown said. “I would rather it be me than her.”
Along with the DC Police's $25,000 reward, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering up to $10,000 and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering up to $15,000.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call police at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411.
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