Parents, students shocked after man killed near DC elementary school's track meet
Man killed near DC elementary school's track meet
The search for three suspects who police say shot and killed a man right near a crowded children's sporting event continues Monday night. The car they were driving was found torched not far from the shooting in Northeast D.C.
WASHINGTON - The search for three suspects who police say shot and killed a man right near a crowded children's sporting event continues Monday night.
The car they were driving was found torched not far from the shooting in Northeast D.C.
Here's what we know:
D.C. police say they are searching for three suspects who drove up to a man walking on 26th Street in Northeast and shot him dead right around 2 p.m., next to a track field filled with dozens of elementary school children.
Detectives say suspects drove up 26th towards H Street and shot the victim who was walking. There are a number of schools in the area, including Charles Young Elementary and Two Rivers Charter School.
Shortly after the shooting, police located the car used in the shooting set on fire about four miles away in the Fort Lincoln area of the city.
Police Chief Pamela Smith does not believe the shooting was connected to the track meet.
"It's very frustrating," Smith said. "No child should ever have to experience what was experienced today. Today's incident was completely unacceptable. During an elementary school track meet, individuals open fire putting the lives of our children at risk. Any use of a firearm in our community, especially near our schools around our children, is unacceptable."
Parents say there was security at the field.
RELATED: One dead in shooting at elementary school track meet near former DC high school
What they're saying:
FOX 5 was on the scene just moments after the shooting speaking with parents and kids who witnessed the chaos.
"I would never think that I'm going to see my daughter for her track meet and this happens. I was pretty scared," parent Shayla Nunez said.
They say this is traumatizing for students — what was supposed to be a championship track meet turned into a crime scene.
"You just don’t kind of expect it," said Wanda Bieloszabski. "I can’t believe it’s actually happening to us."
The students were left stunned and shaken by the incident as well.
"I thought it was a flare gun but it went off like five times, so I knew it wasn't like the flare gun," one boy told FOX 5.
Some were thankful to have trusted adults around as the gunshots rang out.
"I was on the other side of my team and I was about to go out the gate and then the lady got me and she held me," one of the young track runners told FOX 5. "It made me feel like I was protected."
They were all at the Spingarn Track Field on 26th Street, right off Benning Road, near the Langston Golf course, for the meet.
What we don't know:
At this current moment, we do not have an age or the name of the man that was shot and killed. Investigators are still working to identify him.
Police have not provided descriptions of the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call them.