Man shoots dead boy, 13, he suspected was breaking into cars in 'crazy' killing
Outrage has sparked over the killing of a 13-year-old boy by a man who suspected the student was breaking into cars.
Karon Blake was shot dead on Saturday, January 7, in Washington D.C., and no arrests have been made over his killing.
Emergency services arrived at the scene after reports of a shooting at around 4am. The teenager was taken to a hospital but sadly succumbed to his wounds.
Following an investigation, police said that the young boy was shot by a man living in the block after he "heard noises and observed someone that appeared to be tampering with vehicles".
The police statement noted: "The male resident went outside, armed with a registered firearm, to further investigate.
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"There was an interaction between a juvenile male and the male resident. During the interaction, the male resident discharged his firearm striking the victim."
No arrests have been made over 13-year-old Karon Blake's killing as of yet (NBC Washington)Blake's death has sparked a fierce community response from activists demanding that the shooter be arrested and his name be made public.
The shooter has not been charged with a crime or publicly identified, but police and the US Attorney's Office say the investigation is ongoing.
A community meeting Tuesday night drew more than 300 angry citizens, packing a community centre adjacent to Brookland Middle School, which Blake attended.
Sean Long, the teen's grandfather said: "I didn't know you could just kill somebody over property damage. That's just crazy."
Struggling to speak over the shouts of the crowd, Assistant Police Chief Morgan Kane of the Metropolitan Police Department said she could not share the shooter's identity or any details about the investigation in progress.
Police found Karon with gunshot wounds (NBC Washington)Kane said: "We want the same thing you want. We want to find out what happened and whatever chips fall, they fall."
Area resident Tracey Lucas addressed Kane and accused the MPD of taking a soft approach to what she said was vigilante violence against a young Black man.
She compared the shooting to the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman - an event that led to the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Lucas said: "I don't see why you are protecting his name. Knowing who the killer is does not breach this investigation."
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At one point, the crowd broke into a loud chant protesting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's absence, shouting, "Where is the mayor?"
Earlier in the day, MPD Chief Robert Contee pleaded for patience and warned against misinformation and hysteria.
Contee said: "There has been too much misinformation swirling around this incident. Too many people have made assumptions about this case and it is unfair to the grieving family."
The controversy comes at a delicate time for Bowser, who is regarded by Black Lives Matter and other activist groups as a staunch police defender.
Last week, Bowser, who just began a third term in office, vetoed a sweeping revision of the city's criminal code that would, among other things, reduce the maximum penalties for offences such as burglary, carjacking and robbery.
In coming out against the bill, Bowser stated: "Anytime there's a policy that reduces penalties, I think it sends the wrong message."
The D.C. Council, which unanimously approved the revision, appears likely to override her decision.
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