At least 20 people were injured, 9 are in serious condition, police said.
A 17-year-old was killed and a police officer was ‘fighting for her life’ after she, and many others, were shot during a large rally in southeast Washington DC early on Sunday morning, police said.
The incident took place in 33rd Street and Dubois Place at 12.30pm where more than 100 people had gathered, DC Police Chief Peter Newsham told reporters at a news conference. At the meeting, a quarrel broke out and “multiple weapons were produced”, by at least three people and they opened fire in the crowd, Newsham said.
In total, 21 people were shot, including 11 women and two of them were teenagers, police said. One of the teenagers, Christopher Brown, 17, was pronounced dead, according to Newsham.
The boss said the injured off-duty DC police officer was transported to the hospital in very serious condition.
“She’s struggling at the moment for her life,” he said.
Artecka Brown, the mother of Christopher Brown, told local reporters that the family has been grieving all day, according to ABC branch WJLA. She said Brown was the father of a 1-year-old child and had another child on the way, and the family is working on processing the news.
“Just the life of an innocent child has been taken away,” Artecka Brown said of her son.
The DC Fire Department said nine of the victims transported to hospitals are suffering serious critical injuries.
Two injured people who were found outside the meeting and taken to hospitals may have linked to the shooting, officials said. One was picked up from a location away from the meeting while another arrived at a firehouse, a DC Fire spokesman said.
“Unfortunately, several people, who have no respect for human life, have opened fire on what people were together, enjoying themselves,” Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters.
Newsham said there were officers near the rally who violated the city’s ban on large crowds, but they were unable to control or break the rally.
Investigators are still looking for clues and witnesses and did not immediately have a motive, according to Newsham.
ABC News’ Sarah Shales contributed to this report.
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