Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. was shot in an attempted carjacking Sunday afternoon in Northeast D.C.
Police Chief Robert Contee said Monday morning that Robinson fought back against one gunman and was shot by a second gunman as the two tried to take his car.
“At some point during the course of this robbery attempt, our victim in this case began to struggle with one of the suspects, was able to actually wrestle that firearm away from one of the suspects. And he was he was shot twice by the second suspect,” Contee said.
D.C. police release photos of the suspects captured by a nearby surveillance camera before they fled the scene in a separate vehicle.
Robinson, a third-round pick in the April draft who was expected to start for the Commanders this season, was shot in the hip and the leg during an attempted carjacking Northeast D.C., according to a law enforcement source. He is in stable condition.
Robinson, on his Instagram account Monday, said that surgery went well.
Commanders Head Coach Ron Rivera visited Robinson, 23, at the hospital Sunday evening and said in a tweet that the running back is doing well and wants to get back with the team as soon as possible.
I just got done visiting w/Brian. He is in good spirits and wanted me to thank everyone for their kind words, prayers & support. He wants his teammates to know he appreciates them all for reaching out and he loves them all & will be back soon doing what he does best.
— Ron Rivera (@RiverboatRonHC) August 29, 2022
Contee said police believe the two suspects left the scene in a vehicle that was stolen at about 4 p.m. Friday on Branch Avenue in Temple Hills, Prince George’s County, and found Sunday at about 7:20 p.m. in Landover.
A law enforcement source said Robinson was at Crab Boss, at 10th and H streets in Northeast, getting seafood before the shooting at around 5:30 p.m.
The police said the suspects attempted to take Robinson’s white Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.
The police say they are seeking two shooting suspects, both teenagers. One was wearing a dark colored shirt; the other, a shirt with yellow smiley faces.
Law enforcement sources said there were two guns involved in the crime. One was found at the scene; authorities are trying to trace it. The car the suspects used to flee the seen has been since recovered, police said in a statement.
Contee said crimes such as this one make people feel less safe in the city, but that crime has not increased overall compared to last year.
Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city is trying to get guns off the streets.
“If you know you have a young person that’s involved in crime, may have access to guns, may have a gun in your home, you need to reach out to us so that we can get them some help before they hurt themselves or get hurt,” Bowser said. “We also need young people to face consequences. MPD is going to locate who is responsible for this crime.”
WTOP’s Megan Cloherty and John Domen, and The Associated Press, contributed this report.
