Washington, DC school on lockdown after two teens shot near campus

‘Situations that start in the community will bleed over into the school,’ police chief says

A Washington, DC school was put on lockdown after two teenagers were shot near the campus.

The IDEA Public Charter School on Lee Street in Northeast DC went into lockdown on Wednesday morning after the shooting was reported around 10am, according to WUSA9.

The teenagers were found at the scene when police arrived and they were taken to an area hospital with both of them breathing and conscious. One of the victims’ injuries are critical while the other’s are not considered to be life-threatening.

The Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Robert Contee told the press that “this case has been closed with the arrest of another student”.

He said the arrested student was 15 years old, attended the school, and was taken into custody near the scene.

“What we know so far is that earlier this morning, one of the students came to the school ... and was not wearing the proper uniform,” he said.

“Staff at the school offered to properly outfit this particular student, he declined to put on the proper school uniform and that student left the school shortly thereafter,” he added.

“About 15 minutes later, two other students showed up and attempted to walk past the officer or the security person who was operating the magnetometer. Those two students, when they got challenged about being wanded, they elected to leave the school. Shortly after them leaving the school there was an altercation that occurred just outside of the school between these three students,” the chief said.

One of the students took out a handgun and shot the two others.

“It’s very tragic that we’re seeing firearms in the hands of young people who should not have them and as a result of that, we have two young people suffering from gunshot wounds,” the chief said.

Chief Contee added that another shooting took place earlier on Wednesday “about a block and a half away” in a building where a juvenile was shot.

Speaking about the incident at the charter school, Chief Contee said, “I'm kind of hearing some information right now that it may have been some kind of dispute between these individuals yesterday that did not occur in the school. And as oftentimes you've heard me say that situations that ... start in the community will bleed over into the school”.

“Parents have to talk to their kids first and foremost. I think a lot of the stuff starts in the home,” he added.

“Your children should not be ... on the way to school in possession of a firearm or picking up a firearm and on their way to school. I mean, that's just unacceptable behaviour,” he said.

“We have to make sure that the children here get the services that they need. But at the end of the day, we need parents to also be parents as well. Talk to your students about resolving conflict and resolving conflict without involving a gun,” he added.