A Washington, DC government employee has been charged with murder in the second degree for the deadly shooting of a thirteen-year-old boy, authorities said.
Forty-one-year-old Jason Lewis was taken into custody after surrendering to the police on Tuesday, January 31, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee.
In a press conference on Tuesday, the Police Chief said authorities charged Lewis about three weeks after he allegedly shot dead Karon Blake, a thirteen-year-old middle school student, in the early morning hours of January 7.
Police said that Lewis thought someone was tampering with cars in his neighborhood, prompting him to fire his gun.
According to an arrest affidavit, Lewis told investigators that he was in his bed when he heard some noises, so he went downstairs to check if someone was trying to enter his home. When he got down, he saw a car and some young people wearing dark clothes.
Lewis told the police that he remained in his home but fired at a parked vehicle, which he believed to be the getaway car. According to the police chief, Blake and another unidentified person started running when they heard the gunshots.
At one point, Blake ran in the direction of Lewis, prompting Lewis to fire at the teenager and kill him.
Police Chief Contee said that at first, Blake was running toward the getaway car, but it reversed and crashed into an alley, which made Blake start running toward Lewis.
Per the affidavit, Lewis told officers that after shooting at Blake, the thirteen-year-old yelled at him to stop firing and that he was just a kid before collapsing. Lewis called the police after the incident.
Surveillance cameras recorded the incident, and in the videos, Blake is seen running in front of Lewis’ house as the man fires in his direction.
Blake is also heard screaming that he is sorry and begging Lewis not to shoot him.
The police chief said that no confrontation happened between Lewis and Blake before the teen was shot dead.
Two other teenagers seen running away from the scene have not yet been identified.
Blake’s grandfather, Sean Long, said his heart broke when he heard the news, especially because his grandson begged for his life before Lewis shot him.
According to Blake’s grandfather, though the murder charge against Lewis was a move toward justice, he and his family want the man convicted.
The community was outraged by the shooting, with most saying that the alleged tampering with property should not result in the death of a young person.
