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Fourth Digital Pioneers Academy student shot this school year
A school community in Southeast D.C. is mourning another loss of a student. Officials confirm the District’s latest juvenile victim is the fourth student at Digital Pioneers Academy to be killed in the last year. FOX 5’s David Kaplan spoke to the school's founder Mashea Ashton about the violence.
WASHINGTON - The 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed Tuesday night in Southeast has been identified by police as Jaylin Osborne – an eighth grader at Digital Pioneers Academy.
The school's founder and CEO Mashea M. Ashton sent a letter to families Wednesday notifying them of Jaylin's passing.
Ashton described Jaylin as a "dedicated friend and big brother." She said he was "hard-working" and a "curious scholar who was seen as a leader among his classmates." He also hoped to join the school's football team in the fall.
"Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. I cannot imagine what they are going through right now," the letter reads. "Once again, we are forced as a DPA community to grapple with the horrific reality of our city’s youth violence epidemic."
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DC school mourns the loss of its 4th student to violence
The Digital Pioneers Academy has lost several students to gun violence this year.
According to Ashton, Jaylin is the fourth DPA student to die from gun violence this year. Antione Manning, 14, was shot and killed in Southeast on Halloween night. Jakhi Snider, a 16-year-old student at the school, was shot on a Saturday morning in November and on Father’s Day, 15-year-old DeMarcos Pinckney was also shot and killed in Southeast. Keenan Anderson, a teacher at the school, died after being tased by police in Los Angeles, where he was visiting family in January.
"This reality must change," she wrote in the letter. "There is nothing more important to me than your child’s safety. At school, our team of caring educators can keep our scholars safe, engaged, and cared for. Outside of the school walls, our influence is limited. Right now, the city is not safe, and violence usually increases in the summer when young people are out unsupervised. That’s why I’m making the recommendation that you keep your children indoors in the evening and in supervised activities during the day."
"I’m an educator, not an activist, but it’s clear that right now the city is in crisis, and we must do more to protect our young people," Ashton continued. "In the days and weeks ahead, I will be meeting with city officials and civic leaders to demand more is done to improve public safety in our neighborhoods."
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15-year-old boy shot, killed in southeast DC
Authorities say a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed Tuesday night in southeast D.C. Police later identified the victim as Jaylin Osborne of Southeast, DC.
The shooting was reported just after 10:30 p.m. in the 2600 block of Stanton Road.
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DC charter school mourns teacher who died after being tased by LAPD
The Digital Pioneer Academy says the death of Keenan Anderson is a tremendous loss. The school's CEO Mashea Ashton described Anderson as a dedicated 10th-grade English teacher who began working at the school six months ago. FOX 5's David Kaplan spoke to Ashton about Anderson, and more.
D.C. police said they found the teen unconscious and not breathing at the scene. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
There are no suspects or motives at this time. The shooting remains under investigation.
Read the full letter sent home to the DPA community below: