As religious leaders prayed in front of D.C. Police’s Seventh District station along Alabama Avenue in Southeast on Tuesday night, Chief Pamela Smith watched closely.
She closed her eyes, lowered her head and at times clapped as community members prayed for safety in their neighborhood, for an end to gun violence and for healing for the family of 3-year-old Ty’ah Settles, who was killed nearby Friday night.
Then, when it was her to turn to speak, she reflected on what she called a “troubling weekend.” Smith said she has nieces and nephews, and Settles’ death hit her particularly hard.
Police said Settles was in a car and struck by a stray bullet last week.
To help the community cope, Smith convened her Faith Advisory Council for a prayer walk through the neighborhood. She led a group in song while walking down Irving Street and then around the corner, where Settles’ family had a few private minutes with D.C.’s top law enforcement official.
While violent crime is down in D.C. compared to the first five months of 2023, police remain concerned about what could happen as the warm weather arrives. Smith said Tuesday that D.C. summers “can be rough.” Friday’s shooting, which left a toddler in a car caught in crossfire, was a reminder of that.
“We will deploy as many resources as we can, but that’s not the final answer,” Smith said. “The answer is that we’ve all got to come together as a community to have these young people and adults put these guns down.”
Police are still searching for whoever may have been involved in the Southeast shooting, and Smith said the city is offering a $50,000 reward for anyone who can provide information related to the deadly incident.
“It’s heartbreaking for the District of Columbia to lose someone who’s so young and did not have a chance to even have a start in life,” Smith said.
Many religious leaders and community members shared a similar sentiment.
Emma P. Ward, who said she’s a reading specialist in the city, has been thinking about how Settles’ family will be navigating life missing the traditional milestones of a child.
“I won’t have the opportunity to teach that 3-year-old how to read,” Ward said. “That just breaks my heart.”
Smith, meanwhile, is hoping to rally around Settles’ family and use the shooting to implement change.
“When we see young people doing things that they should not be doing, we’ve got to take our community back and intervene when they’re doing things that are not right,” Smith said.
Phyllis, a Ward 8 resident, described the shooting as senseless and heartbreaking.
“This is a wake up call to people to realize that life is precious, and you can’t give it back,” she said.
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