7th Grader – 13-year-old shot, killed in attempted carjacking of off-duty federal officer in DC: Police
WASHINGTON (7News) — An attempted carjacking late Saturday night turned deadly, according to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
D.C. Police said a teenage boy died after he attempted to carjack someone and was shot near 6th Street and D Street in Northwest D.C. just after 10 p.m.
According to police, the victim, an off-duty federal security officer, was waiting in his vehicle for his shift to begin when he was approached by two juveniles. They demanded the victim out of his car, with one holding his hand in his front waistband pocket as if he had a handgun. The victim shot one of the suspects as he was getting out of the car. The other suspect fled.
The suspect that was shot was taken to a nearby hospital where he died, police said. The teen was identified as 13-year-old Vernard Toney, Jr.
Officers are now searching for the second suspect who was caught by surveillance cameras and can be seen below:
Police said the driver had a legally owned firearm and is cooperating with the investigation.
7News On Your Side had spoken with MPD’s Carjacking Task Force earlier in the week, as carjackings had eclipsed 800 cases so far this year.
We asked the manager of the unit what they were doing to actively prevent these crimes, instead of just responding to them.
Specifically, we are a reactive unit. That’s all we do, is respond. We get cases after the fact. There are other units. We have a robbery suppression unit that’s stood up, and they’re more of a proactive street-based unit,” said Lt. Scott Dowling.
7News On Your Side asked MPD officials on Sunday the following questions:
- Did you find a gun on the juvenile who was shot and killed?
- Do you have a description of the other carjacking suspect?
- Were there any patrols nearby at the time of the carjacking?
- Earlier this week, the manager of MPD’s Carjacking Task Force told me there’s a robbery suppression unit designed to stop carjackings and other similar crimes before they happen. Was anyone with the robbery suppression unit nearby when this incident happened?
- How many officers are in the robbery suppression unit?
A spokesperson provided the following response:
At this time, all of the information we have available is in the release. MPD does not provide specifics on operations, tactics, or deployments.
Detectives are searching for the second suspect involved in the carjacking.
MPD currently offers a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for a violent crime committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.
On Monday at 9 a.m., the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety held a public hearing to review the city’s crime reduction programs.
Just after noon on Monday, D.C. Public Schools and Kelly Miller Middle School principal Donnell Cox issued the following statement, concluding it by referring students and parents to the school district’s mental health resources website.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the recent death of one of our students, Vernard Toney Jr. As a 7th grader, Vernard was a valued member of the Kelly Miller community, and we know he will be greatly missed by our staff and students. Vernard was a smart and talented student who created personal relationships not only with his schoolmates but also with many of the staff here at Kelly Miller. He had a natural comedic ability and loved to make people laugh, especially when he would joke that he was the principal of Kelly Miller MS. Vernard also loved to play basketball and spend his free time on the court with his friends. This loss will surely raise many emotions, concerns, and questions from our community, especially our students, and we want to support everyone through this time.
‘Tragedy’: DC officials share new details on 13-year-old killed during carjacking
After a 13-year-old was shot and killed during a carjacking in downtown D.C., District officials spoke about what happened and who the child was.
Vernard Toney Jr. died Sunday after he was shot on D Street NW, in the Penn Quarter area, the previous night. Police say an off-duty federal security officer shot Toney after he and another young person tried to carjack him. One of the juveniles held his hand in his pocket as if he had a gun, police said, and then the officer opened fire. Toney was shot and the other person ran.
Toney was a seventh grader at Kelly Miller Middle School in Northeast D.C. He was smart, funny and talented, his principal said in a letter to families.
“He had a natural comedic ability and loved to make people laugh, especially when he would joke that he was the principal of Kelly Miller MS. Vernard also loved to play basketball and spend his free time on the court with his friends,” the letter said.
Toney had been accused in a string of previous carjackings. Two sources familiar with the investigation say Toney was arrested in May in connection with a number of armed carjackings in Southeast D.C. He was 12 at the time. It wasn’t immediately clear what happened with the cases.
Mayor Muriel Bowser called Toney’s death a tragedy.
“Guns, carjackings, 13-year-olds: recipe for tragedy. And that’s what we have,” she said Monday.
Acting Chief of Police Pamela Smith said she wanted to be sensitive to Toney’s grieving parents and classmates.
“He was known to the Metropolitan Police Department, and it’s just unfortunate that this particular incident happened on Saturday night that caused him to no longer be here,” she said.
Toney’s family declined an interview request. source
12-year-old arrested in Penn Quarter attempted carjacking that resulted in 13-year-old’s death
Police arrested a 12-year-old suspect in a downtown D.C. attempted carjacking in which an alleged 13-year-old accomplice was shot and killed.
Vernard Toney Jr. died Sunday after he was shot on D Street NW, in the Penn Quarter area, the previous night. Police say an off-duty federal security officer shot Toney after he and another young person tried to carjack him.
One of the juveniles held his hand in his pocket as if he had a gun, police said, and then the officer opened fire. Toney was shot, and the other person ran.
The 12-year-old suspect has been charged with armed carjacking.
Two sources familiar with the investigation say Toney was arrested in May in connection with a number of armed carjackings in Southeast D.C. He was 12 at the time. It wasn’t immediately clear what happened with the cases.
Toney was a seventh grader at Kelly Miller Middle School in Northeast D.C. He was smart, funny and talented, his principal said in a letter to families.
Counseling services were offered to Toney’s classmates. source