(TheIndependentStar.com) – In an incident both sickening and shocking – and where even a “got-what-they-deserved” feels off the mark – a 13-year-old boy died, and another boy, 12, was arrested after the two of them attempted a carjacking, but their target turned out to be an off-duty federal security officer.
A minor, aged 12, was taken into custody and faces charges related to an attempted car theft in the nation’s capital that tragically resulted in the death of a 13-year-old adolescent, Fox 12 reports, as cited by The Daily Caller.
This event unfolded at approximately 10 p.m. the previous Saturday on the 600 block of D Street, NW, per a statement by the Metropolitan Police in Washington, D.C.
According to Fox News, the two young individuals, aged 12 and 13, encountered an off-duty federal security officer.
While the officer was preparing for his upcoming shift from inside his car, the young duo approached him with apparently nefarious motives.
A Fox 12 reporter informed that the 13-year-old ran around the vehicle, opened the driver-side door and yelled “using a curse word.”
“Get out, you know what this is,” the underage carjacker reportedly shouted.
They insisted that the officer leave his car. Instantly, the confrontation intensified when one of the youngsters placed a hand in the front waistband of his pants, giving the impression he was armed.
Concerned for his well-being, the officer chose to vacate his car.
Amid the turmoil, the officer pulled his own firearm for self-protection.
The ensuing gunfire resulted in serious injuries to 13-year-old Vernard Toney, Jr.
The injured teenager was quickly transported to a hospital; however, he ultimately succumbed to his wounds, as reported by the news source.
The second participant in the attempted carjacking escaped the scene. Yet, thanks to surveillance technology, law enforcement swiftly apprehended him.
The police made public a surveillance video, which was crucial in locating the 12-year-old suspect.
According to Fox 12, the wanted boy was turned over to the police by his mother, who recognized him in the released images.
On Tuesday, the authorities detained and formally placed the young suspect under arrest.
