DC couple survives violent carjacking attempt
DC couple shot during attempted carjacking
A couple is in the hospital recovering from serious injuries after an attempted carjacking in Northwest D.C. on Monday night. FOX 5's Homa Bash has the exclusive story.
A couple is in the hospital recovering from serious injuries after an attempted carjacking in Northwest D.C. on Monday night.
Violent DC carjacking
What we know:
It happened just after 8 p.m. in the Brightwood neighborhood. The couple was sitting and talking in their car on Colorado Ave. NW when they said someone came up to them wearing a mask and demanded their vehicle.
As they began to drive off, the suspect fired a weapon at them.
The 21-year-old victim's mother and stepmother spoke exclusively with FOX 5, telling us their daughter and her boyfriend were both shot five times each.
He shielded her with his body and bore the brunt of the bullets, now suffering a punctured lung.
The couple was able to drive a quarter-mile down Ingraham Street before crashing into a car on Georgia Ave.
Good Samaritan helps DC couple after attempted carjacking
A good Samaritan is speaking out. She helped two people who were shot during an attempted carjacking in the District. Fox 5's Shomari Stone has the story.
A good Samaritan actually called the victim's mother to tell her what was going on.
"At first, I was like this can't be happening. And I asked if she could please get close to her, so I could hear her voice to know that she was OK," she said. "Everybody needs to feel safe when they walk out their door, they shouldn't have to worry if somebody's going to take their property from them or their life."
The victim's mother and stepmother said they are devastated by the shooting, and disappointed in D.C.'s laws when it comes to gun violence.
"They get locked up, they get let back out, they get locked up, they get let back out. D.C. needs to change the laws. They need to stop letting these individuals back out to terrorize our city, our families, our friends," the stepmother said.
The victim had one surgery this morning on her arm and will likely need more.
A neighbor said she was watching television Monday night when she heard the loud booms, then dove for the ground because she knew immediately there was a shooting outside her front door.
"So loud, loud! I know what a pistol sounds like and what a rifle sounds like – that sounded like a shotgun to me," she said.
She has lived on the street for more than 50 years, saying she's always felt safe - until now.
"Oh it's scary, it is really scary," she said.
D.C. Police are actively investigating but did not have a suspect description to share at this point.