Teen faces gun charges after weapons found following DC church shooting
2 men shot near church in DC | FOX 5 AT 6AM
A shooting near a church left two men injured in northeast Washington, D.C. Shots rang out outside Peace Baptist Church on 18th Street while the church was holding a stop the violence campaign. Police say the two men who were shot were not affiliated with the church. Both are expected to survive.
WASHINGTON - A 16-year-old boy faces multiple firearms charges after police found two guns in his backpacks while interviewing witnesses of a double shooting Monday at a Northeast D.C. church.
READ MORE: 2 men shot near DC church holding a stop the violence campaign
Authorities are actively investigating whether the teenager was directly involved in the initial gunfire, which erupted during a neighborhood anti-violence event.
What we know:
The Metropolitan Police Department announced that the juvenile, a resident of Southeast D.C., was arrested and charged with two counts of carrying a pistol without a license, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device earlier Tuesday.
Detectives discovered the weapons inside two backpacks the teen was carrying while a group of witnesses was held inside the church for questioning.
The backstory:
The arrest followed a shooting at approximately 4:05 p.m. at Peace Baptist Church in the 700 block of 18th Street NE. According to initial reports from FOX 5 D.C., the church was hosting a "stop-the-violence" campaign when shots rang out nearby.
Investigators determined that a group of people had gathered in a fenced-in utility area at the rear of the church property when at least one suspect opened fire on the group and fled.
Officers responded to the scene and located two adult males inside the building suffering from non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Both victims were hospitalized and are expected to survive, according to police.
The church’s pastor confirmed to reporters that the two shooting victims were not affiliated with the church or the anti-violence campaign.
The Source: Information from the Metropolitan Police Department and previous FOX 5 D.C. reporting.