WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — DC police are looking for two men wanted in connection with a shooting that injured two children on Wednesday.
According to police, a group of men got onto a Metro bus and started an altercation. That fight moved off the bus, where someone pulled a gun and fired. The bullets hit a six-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy, as well as an adult man involved in the fight.
Police have arrested and charged Stephen Perdomo, who was the third victim, with assault with a dangerous weapon.
Surveillance photos show two other suspects getting on the bus wearing black, hooded jackets.
Cell phone video from a person on board the bus also captured the fight.
“It could’ve been me with my grandkids,” said Sakethia Barnes, who regularly takes the 54 bus with her grandchildren.
She was not on board during the shooting Wednesday. But on Thursday, she said she prayed the entire ride.
“I was scared because you don’t know what might happen on the bus, so I told them to stay close to me. I stayed up in the front. So, if anything started we could get out the door,” she said.
Wednesday’s shooting comes nearly a week after another child, an eight-year-old boy, was shot in Brightwood. At the time, Police Chief Robert Contee said the boy was an unintended target.
“Police need to act like a city under siege, because that’s what we’re going through, a city under siege. Our babies are getting killed out here. Somebody’s got to do something or they’re going to kill all our kids off,” said Barnes.
“It was horrific and it’s heartbreaking and I mean, if it doesn’t make you livid, something is wrong,” said Jennifer Berglund, who lives nearby.
Berglund said violent crime is a growing issue across the district.
“And I mean, this has been a problem in DC for awhile. It’s now across the entire city. We really need change and meaningful change. Action. And that’s currently not happening in my opinion,” she said.
“The violence is moving all over the city, it is concerning,” said Andres Gabiria, who has lived in Brightwood for the last three years.
He’d like to see more familiar faces added to the police beat.
“There used to be a little bit more connection with police, police on bicycles, we had a connection. We knew who they were, we could call them with any concern. That’s missing. That changed,” said Gabiria.
“They need to put the police on the buses again, they can be undercover, uniformed, whatever. Especially in the evening when the children get out of school,” said Barnes.
