Fatal shooting of 13-year-old Karon Blake in DC sparks call for answers

N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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The fatal shooting of a middle-school student in Washington, DC has sparked backlash from the child's family and activist groups as police increasingly face demands for answers.

Karon Blake, 13, was killed early Saturday by a man who told police he saw Karon "tampering with vehicles," the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. Police Chief Robert Contee III declined to identify the shooter at a press conference Tuesday because he has not been charged with a crime.

The shooting has sparked backlash from Karon's family, local officials, activist groups and community members who demanded the shooter be identified and arrested at a meeting that drew more than 300 people.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was "incredibly saddened" by the shooting at a press conference Monday.

“We would rather be talking about a 13-year-old going to school today than to talk about him being killed on one of our streets," she said.

Flowers were secured to a pole as a memorial to Karon Blake, 13, on the corner of Quincy Street NE and Michigan Avenue NE in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.
Flowers were secured to a pole as a memorial to Karon Blake, 13, on the corner of Quincy Street NE and Michigan Avenue NE in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

What happened during the shooting?

Early Saturday morning, a man "heard noises and observed someone that appeared to be tampering with vehicles" and went outside with a registered firearm to investigate, according to statement from police. During an interaction between the two, the man shot Karon, police said.

Police responded to the scene of a shooting and found Karon suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds, the statement said. He was hospitalized and later pronounced dead, police said.

Who was Karon Blake?

Karon was a “quiet and inquisitive scholar who loved fashion and football," Brookland Middle School principal Kerry Richardson said in a letter to the school’s staff, according to NBC Washington. She said Karon is survived by his mother and three younger siblings, the outlet reported.

"Although he loved his neighborhood, he loved Brookland MS (the faculty & his peers) and the structure it presented to him even more,” Richardson wrote.

Who shot Karon Blake?

Bowser in a Wednesday press conference confirmed the shooter is a city employee who has been placed on administrative leave, and is not a police officer or otherwise involved in public safety.

Contee declined to identify the shooter Tuesday. He said the man who shot Karon, who is Black, is an "African American" who is not a law enforcement officer and has a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Contee criticized what he called "dangerous, reckless" misinformation circulating about the incident online.

“Too many people have made assumptions about this case and it is unfair to the grieving family," Contee said. "People are making allegations centered around race and that is wrong."

Community demands information, accountability

District council member Zachary Parker, who represents the area where Karon was shot, said in a statement residents are entitled to know more about the circumstances of Karon's death.

"No car or material possession is worth a life — under any circumstances," Parker wrote. "I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon's life."

Parker held a meeting Tuesday at a community center near Brookland Middle School, where Karon was a student, and hundreds of residents gathered to demand more information about the shooting. Assistant Police Chief Morgan Kane of the Metropolitan Police Department echoed Contee's comments, saying she could not identify the shooter or share details about the investigation.

“I didn’t know you could just kill somebody over property damage. That’s just crazy,” Sean Long, Karon's grandfather, said.

Residents are not allowed to use deadly force to protect property unless a person is breaking into their home to commit a serious crime, DCist/WAMU reported, citing the district's jury instructions.

Investigation in Karon Blake shooting is ongoing

Contee said detectives are investigating the shooting and will present the facts to the United States Attorney's Office and a grand jury, which will determine if criminal charges should be filed. The U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement to USA TODAY it is “committed to thoroughly investigating this matter.”

"As with any pending matter, it would be improper and imprudent to comment any further at this time," the statement said.

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Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact Breaking News Reporter N'dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karon Blake shooting sparks outrage in DC after 13-year-old killed