The father of a 17-year-old boy who was shot and killed in Northeast D.C. this week called the victim, Antonio Cunningham, a “very playful young man” who had a passion for sports and loved to joke around.
“I’m pretty much just numb,” said Cunningham’s father, Antonio Davis. “I just feel like I’m in a nightmare right now.”
Davis was shot and killed on his way to work Monday afternoon in the Brentwood neighborhood.
As of Wednesday, there was no word on any suspects or a motive, although it may have been an attempted robbery, according to Cunningham’s family.
Police are still investigating the murder.
“I’m still in shock that I actually have to go through this,” said Davis. “Nobody should be burying their child.”
A vigil is planned for Friday at 6 p.m. on Brentwood Road in Northeast, just off 13th Street.
Davis encouraged everyone who’s going to bring candles and blue or white balloons.
“This is really difficult for me,” Davis said.
Juvenile crime has been on the rise in the District.
Last month, the Ward 8 community in Southeast held a summit to engage young people in finding solutions.
Held at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus on Mississippi Avenue, community leaders spoke directly to young people about the importance of positive decision-making and setting examples for their peers.
They encouraged kids to channel their energy into other arenas outside of crime — such as academics, sports and the arts.
“The way that we can reduce crime and make our city a place that can thrive, is for everyone to do it together,” said D.C.’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah.
“What I wanted them [the kids] to hear is how we actually see them. That we love them. That we care for them. That we see them as leaders,” she said. “With all that we hear going on with young people, sometimes the positivity and the message of what we’re trying to say is lost.”
