WASHINGTON, DC — A 13-year-old male, later identified as Vernard Toney, Jr., was shot and killed by an off-duty federal security officer during a carjacking attempt, say detectives from the Washington, D.C. Metro Police Department’s Homicide Branch.
The incident unfolded on Saturday night around 10:09 p.m. in the 600 block of D Street in Northwest D.C., where officers responded to reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found a juvenile male with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Initial findings reveal that the off-duty federal officer was sitting in his vehicle, awaiting the start of his shift, when two juveniles approached him. The teens demanded that the officer exit his car, with one of them gesturing as if armed with a handgun. As he was exiting the vehicle, the officer produced a legally owned firearm and shot one of the juveniles. The other suspect fled the scene.
The officer is cooperating with the investigation and is currently on administrative leave pending its outcome. Detectives are actively seeking the second juvenile involved in the carjacking attempt.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact police at 202-727-9099 or submit anonymous tips to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by texting 50411.