WASHINGTON, DC – A 17-year-old female student at Dunbar High School in Washington D.C. was injured by a stray bullet that penetrated a classroom window during an external gunfight on Friday morning.
The student sustained non-critical injuries as a result of the bullet that shattered the window of her school, Dunbar High School, shortly before 10 a.m., according to police reports. She was promptly transported to a nearby hospital where she is currently undergoing treatment and is projected to fully recover, as per statements from law enforcement officials.
Following the incident, the school was immediately placed on lockdown, and authorities confirmed that no active shooter was present within the premises. Dunbar High School is located approximately 1.5 miles east of Downtown Washington, D.C.
The incident reportedly took place when a conflict between unidentified suspects escalated into a gunfight outside the school premises, as detailed by James Boteler, the commander of the Third District, during a press briefing.
Boteler further explained that a vehicle was seen moving in the wrong direction on the 1200 Block at Kirby Street Northwest, halfway up the block, a series of gunshots were heard, followed by more. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
Authorities have stated that the school was not the intended target of the shooting. The number of suspects involved in the incident is currently unknown and they are still at large.
Residents in the vicinity reported hearing what sounded like automatic gunfire. One resident, who is a veteran of the Afghanistan war, expressed his frustration at the recurring incidents of gun violence in the area.
Mayor Bowser was present at the scene but has not yet made a statement regarding the incident. Joyce Robinson-Paul, a member of the local neighborhood advisory commission, voiced her concern over the increasing incidents of gun crime and drug-related issues in the community.