Stephanie Ramirez
·4 min read
WASHINGTON - A 14-year-old boy is dead, and an 18-year-old is fighting for his life at a D.C. hospital after a double shooting erupted at a busy city recreation center on Thursday night.
The shooting took place just outside Lamond Recreation Center in Northeast D.C. on Tuckerman St. Northeast.
FOX 5 was on scene Friday morning as a hazmat crew power washed and cleaned a disturbingly bloody scene found just inside the entrance of the rec center. A police spokesperson tells FOX 5 the 18-year-old victim had run inside for help.
The 14-year-old who was pronounced dead at the scene has been identified as David Bailey of Northeast, D.C.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said the call reporting the incident came at 7:56 p.m.
READ MORE: Teen killed, another injured in shooting outside DC recreation center
A basketball game was taking place inside the rec center that night, so there were a lot of people around. It’s not clear whether the victims or suspects were there for the game.
Chief Smith told reporters someone approached the victims as they were outside and opened fire.
FOX 5 has heard over and over again recently from the mayor and D.C. police that data shows crime is down so far this year.
We are at 111 homicides so far in 2024, compared to 149 this time last year.
However, when you break it down by police district – Lamond is in the Fourth – they've seen three more murders this year than last. But for this family getting ready to lay a 14-year-old to rest, for the kids who witnessed what happened last night, and for this community – these numbers simply do not matter.
Marcus Ellis is the executive director of Peace for DC. He told FOX 5 that he thinks "numbers are just numbers. "They don't impact the way that people feel. A tragedy such as this has a ripple effect. The trauma that this community will now have to endure. The data is not going to show that."
"So whenever I see those numbers, I think you have to multiply each number, each homicide by the pain that particular community is going to be caused, and we have to keep our eyes on the price of one homicide being too much," he added.
In a statement released Friday, Deputy Mayor Lindsey Appiah said, "Yesterday’s shooting was senseless, and we maintain that gun violence has no place in our community. While we have made progress in driving down gun violence in our city, there are still far too many people carrying and using illegal guns. Our message remains clear, when you bring violence to our neighborhoods – there will be swift and certain consequences. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to prevent any more people from being victimized in our city. We extend our prayers to the victims and their families."
The principal of Deal Middle School, where Bailey attended, released a statement Friday:
"With great sadness, I am writing to share news of the recent death of one of our former students, David Bailey, who was killed by gun violence on Thursday, August 1. David was a valued member of the Deal and DC Public Schools (DCPS) community, and we know he will be greatly missed by all who knew him," the letter reads.
"David deeply cared about people, especially his family and siblings. He also loved to listen to and talk about music. David formed meaningful relationships with many people in the Deal community and would start each morning by stopping by my office to say hello before heading to class for the day. I looked forward to our quick chat each morning. This loss will surely raise many emotions, concems, and questions from our community, especially our students, and we want to support everyone through this time. Deal Middle School is working with our community-based organizations, True ou Center and Life Enhancement Services, to ensure that students who need support over the summer can access mental health services. In addition, school administration has been in touch with the DCPS Crisis Response Team -a team of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, staff, and families during difficult times. This itinerant team is also available to provide supplemental support for students and staff as needed during the summer break."
Authorities were searching for a suspect described as a Black male wearing a blue surgical mask and black pants.
The department advises the public not to take any action if they see the suspect, but to call 911 with any information related to the event.
This is a developing story. Check back with FOX 5 for updates.
