6-year-old girl killed, 5 others injured in Washington DC shooting

A six-year-old girl was killed in a shooting in Washington DC on Friday night. Five adults were injured, officials said. The incident took place in the southeast part of the district, shortly after 11 PM.

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Metropolitan Police Department Executive Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict said that the officers in the area heard gunshots and as they arrived on the scene, a group of people directed them to those who were shot.

The child was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Benedict added. Three men and two other women sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made, according to Benedict. 

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“There is too much gun violence still perpetuated in this city,” said Benedict, who asked the public to assist in identifying any suspects while authorities continue to investigate. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available,” he said. 

The US Capital witnessed 198 homicides in 2020, NBC News reported. The report said that this was a 19% increase from 2018, when there were 166. 

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Last month President Joe Biden‘s administration said that law enforcement teams were being launched to five cities, including Washington, D.C., to target trafficking corridors that send guns to those cities. 

Speaking to the people he described as ‘rogue’ gun dealers, Biden said, “My message to you is this – ‘We’ll find you and we will seek your license to sell guns. We’ll make sure you can’t sell death and mayhem on our streets.’ It’s an outrage, and we’ll end it.”