Washington, D.C., employee charged with second-degree murder in shooting death of 13-year-old Karon Blake

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February 3, 2023

By Minyvonne Burke and Daniella Silva, NBC News

A Washington, D.C., employee was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy, police said Tuesday.

Jason Lewis, 41, surrendered to police Tuesday morning and was taken into custody, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said at a news conference.

Lewis was charged with second-degree murder while armed, Contee said. The charges come about three weeks after a man shot and killed Karon Blake, a middle school student, at about 4 a.m. on Jan. 7. Police said the man believed that someone was tampering with vehicles.

[…]

Lewis told police he was lying in bed at his home when he heard noises and went downstairs “because he did not know if someone was trying to come into his home,” according to the affidavit. He said he saw a car and “youngsters” wearing black and said “Hey! What are y’all doing?”

Lewis, Contee said, remained on his property and fired first at a “getaway vehicle that was parked nearby.” Contee said that Karon “and another person who was unidentified began to run. At some point Karon ran toward Mr. Lewis and Mr. Lewis fired a shot, striking Karon and killing him.”

Learn more about the case.

Typically, the Black community fears losing sons to police brutality.

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