Violent crime in DC: What should be done to stop it?

WASHINGTON - The video showing a mother grieving after learning her son was shot and killed in northeast D.C. on Tuesday is hard to watch. It shows 21-year-old Amari Jenkins' mother completely breaking down after finding out her son was killed.

After thoughtful discussions in our newsroom, FOX 5 made the decision to share the video with the public, on air and on our Facebook page, to show exactly how this type of violent crime is affecting our residents. There was mixed reaction to the video being made public. Some of the thousands of people who commented on the video on Facebook said they agreed with it being shown, while others strongly disagreed and said it should not have been shown.

On FOX 5 News at 5 on Wednesday, reporter Paul Wagner and D.C. native Tony Perkins joined Sarah Simmons for a discussion about the video, and what needs to be done to stop the recent rash of violent crime in the District. We were also joined live by Ward 7 Council Member Yvette Alexander, who reacted to the video as well as the outbreak of crime in the city.

As of Wednesday, there have been 98 homicides in the District this year, a 35 percent increase over last year at the same time. On Wednesday, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced the city is now offering a $2,500 reward for people who provide information leading to the recovery of an illegal gun.

During the segment, Alexander said she had seen the video and was moved by it. She also noted that she had spoken with the mother. Alexander said she thinks the video is real, and that people need to see it.

WATCH THE FULL SEGMENT ABOVE, AND COMMENT ON OUR FOX 5 DC FACEBOOK PAGE TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.