DC police search for 16-year-old wanted in fatal shooting of his identical twin brother
WASHINGTON - D.C. police are searching for a 16-year-old boy wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of his identical twin brother inside their Northeast home, an incident the family describes as a devastating accident.
What we know:
Officers responded around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, to a home in the 200 block of 46th Street NE for a reported shooting. Police found 16-year-old Jabrell Young unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Family members told FOX 5 DC that the teenager died in his mother’s arms in the basement of the home.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the shooting as a homicide and is searching for Young’s 16-year-old identical twin brother. Police said the teenager was last seen wearing pajama pants and was believed to be armed at the time.
According to investigators, the missing teen is known to spend time in the "Simple City" neighborhood in Southeast D.C., as well as at the Tyler House on North Capitol Street NW.
The twins’ mother and aunt spoke off-camera with FOX 5, expressing profound shock and grief. They said the shooting was completely accidental, that the twin brother is terrified, and that he did not intentionally shoot his brother. The family said they do not know where the teenager went after the shooting.
The mother and aunt also said police took their phones as part of the homicide investigation. The mother said she was called before a grand jury, but prosecutors offered an attorney and questioning was halted once she requested legal counsel.
What they're saying:
Outside Tyler House in Northwest, FOX 5 spoke with Darryl Hairston, whose 20-year-old son was fatally shot in 2016. Hairston urged the family and the teenager to seek legal guidance immediately.
"It's something that's gonna have to be worked out. It's complicated. It's painful, but try to make sure you can reach somebody — an attorney or lawyer that can work this out with you because at this point you could be losing two kids, but you already lost one," Hairston said. "We're just trying to understand what happened in the home. Why did it happen in the home? This is where we gotta understand why our kids under 15, 16 years old having guns around. It's hard to wrap your head around."
What we don't know:
Authorities have not confirmed the circumstances leading up to the gunfire inside the home, nor have they released information on where the weapon came from.
Investigators have not confirmed where the teenager went after leaving the house or whether anyone has aided him while he remains missing.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099 or text an anonymous tip to 50411.
The Source: This article was written using information from the Metropolitan Police Department.