A middle school community is mourning the loss of a student who was shot and killed on Saturday in Northeast D.C.
The student has been identified as 13-year-old Karon Blake. He attended Brookland Middle School.
Blake was killed in the 1000 block of Quincy Street NE in the Brookland neighborhood at about 4 a.m. A man shot him after he thought he saw someone "tampering with a vehicle,” according to D.C. police.
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That man, who has yet to be identified, had a legally registered gun. He and Blake allegedly had a confrontation before the shooting, police said.
Police said the man performed CPR on Blake after shooting him.
Police said they found a stolen car near the scene, which they believe Blake had used.
News4 obtained a note from Principal Kerry Richardson to the staff of Brookland Middle School.
“He was a quiet and inquisitive scholar who loved fashion and football. Although he loved his neighborhood, he loved Brookland MS (the faculty & his peers) and the structure it presented to him even more. He leaves behind his mom and three younger siblings,” Richardson wrote.
Richardson said the school would offer mental health support to students and faculty on Monday. They will also hold a staff huddle to honor Blake’s life.
D.C. Council member Christina Henderson tweeted that she would be checking in with D.C. Public Schools and the Department of Behavioral Health to ensure that Brookland Middle School has proper support.
"Property is not greater than life. Karon should be alive today," Henderson tweeted.
Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker released a statement saying, in part, "No car or material possession is worth a life – under any circumstance. I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the MPD and the U.S. Attorney's office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon's life."
News4 spoke to students' guardians who struggled to comprehend how a child of 13 could be killed.
“Almost nothing really, you know, nothing. I mean like you said, he should have been at home in the bed, or trying to read a book or something,” grandparent James Dickens said.
“I understand that people have a right to protect their property, but to go out and shoot somebody who's not doing anything to you, is, I don't think that's acceptable,” parent Chia Ukeekwe said.
“Vigilante behavior is not the way to go about it,” said Frankie Seabron of a new group called DC Safety Squad, which is working to support Karon’s family. “We really should value people more than we value property.”
Police said they are working to determine if the man who shot Blake will face charges.
