DC reporter Charnice Milton killed in shooting

A local reporter was shot and killed Wednesday night in the District.

Charnice Milton, 27, was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 2700 block of Good Hope Road in Southeast around 9:40 p.m. She was taken to the hospital where she died.

Milton worked just across the street for Capital Community News since 2012. The Southeast resident covered community issues.

According to the newspaper, Milton was a graduate of Ball State and earned a Master's from Syracuse. She was described as a talented reporter with an "engaging manner that endeared her to her sources."

Milton was not the shooter's intended target, D.C. police said.

She was an accomplished young woman and was well respected by her peers in her role as a reporter. She was also a beloved daughter.

Her family is asking for those responsible to do the right thing and turn themselves in.

"What we do know is that out of cowardice, a young man grabbed my daughter and put [her] between the bullet and his life," said Ken McClenton, the victim's father.

It is a horrific detail for any parent to cope with in the death of their child. McClenton and Milton's mother, Francine, are devastated about the loss of their beautiful daughter.

"We miss our daughter," said Francine. "We hurt that she is no longer with us it. But we also know that she is at a peaceful place."

It is their trust in God that is helping them through.

"We are firmly founded on the Lord," said McClenton. "We believe that she had an appointed time and the time she was with us, we enjoyed every single moment of her life. She was a good girl."

They choose to focus on what their daughter accomplished in spite of obstacles she faced as a child.

"She had her own condition of Asperger's and it was presumed because of her special condition, she would never excel and never achieve any great feat," said Milton's father. "Yet watching our daughter walk across the stage at Bishop McNamara High School with honors, then going to Ball State and graduating with honors, then graduating at Syracuse with honors, and then staying here in Southeast Washington D.C., when she could have gone anywhere."

Her parents say they are thankful for the support from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Bowser called for the public's help while out on her community walk Thursday.

"We want to know," said Bowser. "We know that people were in and around the area. We have gotten very little information and we need the public to provide that information so Charnice's killer can be captured."

While Milton's parents draw comfort from community support, they remain resolved to keep their hearts where she would want them -- focused on the good memories.

"All the bitterness, the anger and the frustration doesn't bring our daughter back," said her father.

D.C. police said they believe the shooter could have been on a dirt bike.

Police would like for anyone at the scene of Wednesday night's shooting to contact them and any tips can be made anonymously.