Teen girl shot near Dunbar High School, police investigating

What we know

WASHINGTON - A 17-year-old student is recovering from a gunshot wound after being shot Tuesday afternoon near Dunbar High School in Northwest D.C., according to police.

D.C. Police received a call reporting a shooting about a block away from the school – in the 200 block of Morgan Street NW – at 3:02 p.m. 

Assistant Chief of Police for Patrol Services North Sylvan Altieri clarified that the shooting did not occur inside the school but that the victim was brought there by "unknown parties." 

"I want to be clear the shooting did not occur in the school," Altieri told reporters.

For precautionary reasons, the school was placed on lockdown while police carried out their investigation.

What condition is the victim? 

The teenage victim was found "conscious and breathing," and was transported to a local hospital with what Altieri described as "non-life-threatening injuries." 

She remains in stable condition as police continue to investigate what led up to the incident.

"Somebody out there knows the people who committed this crime," Altieri said. "It could be a relative, a significant other, someone you know. If you know that person, we are asking you, please contact the MPD. It can be done anonymously."

What do we know about the suspect? 

Investigators from the Real Time Crime Center have obtained an image of the shooting suspect, and police are calling on the community to provide tips to help identify those responsible.

Altieri acknowledged the concern among residents, noting, "While crime is down, here crime is up. Anytime something like this happens, you see it on the news, and we see it in social media. Sadly, if you live where it’s happening, we’re going to be afraid. I want to assure the people out there we are doing everything we can possibly do to find the people who did this and get some kind of relief to this community."

Dunbar High School's letter to families

Dunbar High School's Interim Principal Triffany White sent a letter home to parents and families following the shooting. Principal White said the school is "committed to the safety and well-being" of its students. 

"Our thoughts are with our student and their family as they recover. I want to acknowledge that coping with the effects of gun violence is a difficult experience, and we are here for our community," White wrote. 

Read the full letter below: 

Dear Dunbar High School Parents and Families,
At Dunbar, we are committed to the safety and well-being of our students. Communicating home about incidents that occur during the school day is critical to maintaining strong partnerships with families Around 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, a student returned to our building after being injured in an instance of gun violence on Morgan Street NW. To ensure the safety of our students and staff, we immediately delayed our dismissal procedures as we went into alert status and contacted the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and DC Public Schools (DCPS) Police.
During alert status, instruction and movement throughout the building occur as usual, but entering and exiting the building is not permitted. Please be assured students and staff in our building remained safe and accounted for during this time. By 3.50 p.m., MPD cleared us to resume dismissal procedures. While it was initially shared that students were dismissed using the rear entrance on O Street NW, we were able to allow students to leave from our N Street NW and New Jersey Ave NW exits as well.
At this time, I can confirm that the victim of today's shooting is a Dunbar student Our thoughts are with our student and their family as they recover. I want to acknowledge that coping with the effects of gun violence is a difficult experience, and we are here for our community.
Support has been requested from the DCPS Crisis Response Team-a team of professionals trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and staff during difficult times. I also want to remind families that Dunbar's dedicated wellness team comprises two social workers, five school counselors, and two school psychologists who are available to provide our students with a safe space to react and share their feelings.
Please reach out if we can connect your child with support.
The safety of our students is paramount If you have any questions, please call our school office at (202) 698-3762 or email me at tiffany white3@k12.c.gov.
Sincerely.
Trifany White
Interim Principal, Dunbar High School

No further details have been released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact D.C. Police at 202-727-9099.