WASHINGTON — Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating a shooting in D.C. that left a 9-year-old girl injured on Sunday.
Metropolitan Police officers responded to the 2700 block of Douglas Place in Southeast where police found a 9-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound to the back.
The child was sent to a local hospital in stable condition and police do not believe the child was the target of the shooting.
During a press conference, officials explained that the shooting happened in the 1500 block of Shippen Lane in Southeast. Police said they recovered multiple shell casings.
"What we know is that they were unaware she was shot until they reached this location," said Lashay Makal, police commander for the seventh district. She says the two adults that were inside the car realized the girl had been struck by gunfire when they were a mile away from where the shooting took place. The two adults were uninjured.
Witnesses told WUSA9 that they saw someone inside a vehicle shooting at the car with the girl in the backseat.
"It's disheartening. It's disheartening, and again, it's just outrageous. I am outraged and the community should be outraged as well," Makal said during a news conference.
Neighbors on Shippen Lane are outraged by how brazen the shooting was. Children were outside playing and some people were having Sunday cookouts near the intersection where the shots were fired.
"That affects us emotionally, it's like PTSD to the extreme," said Bryan Bowling who lives in the neighborhood. He said he would like to see some changes before more innocent bystanders are hurt.
"I want to extend my condolences to this mother, grandmother, sister, brother that had to deal with this little girl. You know, my heart goes out to them," said Bowling.
Officers said they are looking for a Black man wearing a ski mask and operating a dark-colored sedan.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 202-727-9099 or text them at 50411.