A Washington, D.C., employee, turned himself in to police Tuesday morning in connection to the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy.
The employee, Jason Lewis, faces a second-degree murder charge, multiple sources told NBC Washington. Metropolitan Police declined to comment Tuesday, and said more information on the case will be released at an 11 a.m. news conference.
Police said a man shot and killed Karon Blake, a middle school student, at about 4 a.m. on Jan. 7 after the man believed that someone was tampering with vehicles. The man left his home with a registered firearm, got into “an interaction” with Karon, and fired his weapon, killing the teenager, police said.
The man called 911 and was performing CPR when officers arrived, Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said. The chief called the shooting a “horrible situation.”
“We have a 13-year-old that died, and we don’t have all of the facts,” Contee said. “And the people who are responsible for gathering the facts and making charging decisions are doing it just as fast as possible.”
An attorney for Lewis said his client maintains his innocence.
“While this is certainly a tragedy, once all the facts are heard, I believe that a jury will find that there was no crime here,” attorney Lee Smith said. “Mr. Lewis has dedicated his career to mentoring and supporting youth in the District of Columbia, which only adds to how distraught he is over the death of Karon Blake. Mr. Lewis and his family offer heartfelt condolences to Karon’s family and other loved ones.”
The shooting outraged the community, with members of Karon’s family demanding justice.
“He’s too young — 13 years old,” Karon’s grandfather Sean Long previously told NBC News. “That’s what’s killing me, he’s a baby.”
Read the full article here
