WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — 45-year-old Dale Henson of Southeast, DC was picking up food for a grieving family member when she was caught in the crossfire of Tuesday’s shooting on Benning Road.
Her family said that Tuesday night was an example of how selfless Dale was as she was ensuring that the family member who was also grieving a loss was eating and taking care of themselves.
Dale’s daughter Tameka Keyes told DC News Now that her mother was caught in the crossfire and shot in the head.
“Y’all took somebody, first of all, she didn’t deserve it, you took away a mother, a daughter, a grandmother away from family members who needed her,” Tameka Keyes said. “Her presence was known when she walked into a room and now we don’t have that. She didn’t deserve this.”
Dale’s mother, Gloria Henson, and Keyes described Dale as the backbone of their family, someone who was always willing and ready to help. Keyes told DC News Now that her mother was loving and joyous, the person everyone went to for advice, and “what was hers was yours.” She also said she is devastated and still trying to comprehend what happened.
DC police say they’ve arrested a 15-year-old of Northwest DC who has been charged with second-degree. However, the police report indicates that the boy wasn’t the first to shoot. Investigators say that after the 15-year-old boy was shot, he took out a gun and fired it off multiple times, hitting and killing Henson.
The new Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah told DC News Now in a statement:
“Last night another tragic incident of gun violence involving a young person in our city has left a member of our DC community dead and the lives of others forever altered. As Washingtonians, we are all impacted by these senseless acts of violence, but we know they are especially traumatic for those directly affected. We offer our sincerest condolences to the victims, their families, and their loved ones, along with our redoubled commitment to work together to utilize every resource to ensure that residents in every community across the District are safe and feel safe.”
Lindsey Appiah
MPD is actively investigating this tragic incident, and anyone with information is asked to contact police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the department’s text tip line at 50411.
