As D.C. leaders announced grants to fund gun violence prevention Wednesday, police were investigating a broad daylight fatal shooting at a shopping center several miles away in Northeast.
A man was shot in front of Shoe City on Minnesota Avenue NE. Police say it was a targeted shooting. The motive is unknown. A gun belonging to the victim was recovered, police said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser awarded 20 people and groups $5,000 grants to use in various gun prevention initiatives.
“It is a long-term investment,” she said. “It’s not a short-term fix; it’s a long-term investment.”
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Homicides are up in the city. Bowser said prevention programs run by members of the community will allow them to put their passion into action to change and save lives.
“One thing I know I know for sure is that the violence that we see on the outside has already happened on the inside,” said Thandor Miller.
Miller received one of the grants. He held a workshop to help young adults change their lives and believes the programs are helping.
Gun Violence: A Call to Action
NBC4 is taking a hard look at one of the biggest issues in D.C. right now. For every life lost, the grief and pain affect many more.
“They will see that change is happening person by person,” he said. “It may not be happening as fast as people would like to see, but we have to invest in it like we’re working with grains of sand.”
Dr. Warees Majeed has received grant money for his No Slide Zone program and has helped others get grants, too. He acknowledged it’s a challenge but believes crimes are being prevented.
“I get to speak to these men and women all the time, and because of that I know how many individuals that they’re impacting in positive way,” he said. “So, for every shooting that you’re looking at, it’s 10 to 20 shootings that don’t happen.”
