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Grandfather of 12-year-old killed in Northeast DC speaks out
The grandfather of 12-year-old Mhilo Young spoke exclusively with FOX 5 DC’s Shirin Rajaee. Young was fatally shot alongside 14-year-old Tyale Coates on April 14 in the 700 block of Kenilworth Avenue.
WASHINGTON - A family member of one of the two young boys gunned down in Northeast D.C. is speaking out as police search for the killers.
He says his family is seeking justice, and imploring whoever did this to come forward.
The backstory:
Mhilo Young, 12, and Tyale Coates, 14, were killed Tuesday afternoon when gunfire erupted in broad daylight outside the Circle Seven convenience store in the 700 block of Kenilworth Ave., NE.
Dozens of shots were fired.
Tyale died at the scene. Mhilo was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
The pain is still raw for the families of two young boys shot and killed in Northeast D.C. on Tuesday.
One of those families spoke to FOX 5, saying they hope it will lead to justice.
The grandfather of 12-year-old Mhilo Young says his grandson was full of life and should still be here today.
For Mhilo’s grandfather, the pain is overwhelming, and he put that grief into words in a way that’s hard to forget.
"Mhilo wasn’t the only one that was shot. We all were shot. We all were shot in all that he didn’t just shoot him, he shot all of us," his grandfather said. "But we are all shot."
"In my mind, I try to tell myself that it’ll be a time for me to crash, but right now my family needs me," he went on to say.
the circumstances:
MPD says the two young victims were standing in a larger group outside the store when the shots were fired.
Police believe the group was targeted, but not necessarily the boys who were killed.
Mhilos' grandfather was certain his grandson was not the intended target.
"He didn’t even hang out with a bad crowd," he said. "He was a good kid, didn’t have a bad bone in his body. Super loving."
Mhilo leaves behind two younger siblings, whom his grandfather says he was very protective of. He loved basketball, football and was a big jokester.
"Mhilo is a kind of kid that whoever these guys did it would’ve given them the shirt off his back would’ve shared anything with them.
Big picture view:
The tragedy is just another reminder of the young lives being lost to gun violence in D.C.
As police search for the killers, the family wants justice, and wants those responsible to turn themselves in.
"We’re looking for you. Police are looking for you. And we’re not gonna stop."
D.C. police say the security cameras at the convenience store were not working, so they do not have video of the shooting or suspects.
They are urging anyone who saw or heard anything to come forward, and are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.