WASHINGTON — A car the could be connected to the murder of a toddler in Southeast DC was found in Montgomery County, according to the Metropolitan Police Department (DC Police).
DC Police had released information on a "car of interest" they were searching for in connection to the murder of 15-month-old Carmelo Duncan.
Police said they were searching for a 2011 dark-colored BMW X5 SUV. The vehicle was last known to bear a Virginia temporary tag number of G51179.
Duncan died from injuries sustained in the shooting while sitting in his father’s car on December 2 around 10 p.m. in the area of 57th Street and Southern Avenue, Southeast. The toddler was in the car with his father and another child when the vehicle was struck by multiple bullets while moving down Southern Avenue. Police Chief Peter Newsham later said he believed the shooting may have been targeted.
Forensic evidence shows more than one weapon was used, Newsham said. It is unknown how many rounds were shot at the vehicle but police know the vehicle was targeted.
Newsham believes an illegal firearm was used in this shooting. He said Carmelo's father is cooperating to an extent that he can for the investigation.
While the case has led to plenty of heartbreak, it has also led to an outpouring of support for the family.
On Wednesday, friends, family and neighbors gathered near the site of the shooting to remember Duncan with a moment of silence a week after his death before marching through nearby streets to call for justice in the case.
The tragedy also led to special messages on social media, including from the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative. This week, the violence response group posted a message to its page reminding families impacted by crime of the mental health services available in the area.
"We are here to support families that may have been impacted by that tragedy," member Irwin Royster said. "We are here to link folks to services that they need.”
The collaborative, which first began in 1996, works with local families to keep children out of the welfare system.
On Thursday, Royster said that the group also planned to hold more community anti-violence discussions to try and stop similar tragedies from occurring.
"We don’t know what happened, we don’t know why it happened, but we need to try to prevent the next one," he said. "Maybe it’s getting the guns off the street. Maybe we need to create safe and stable environments for more people. Maybe we need to respond to the stresses people are feeling in this pandemic.”
John Ayala, of the community group "The Guardian Angels", said he wants to see the cycle stop. He lost his 11-year-old grandson Davon McNeal to gunfire over the summer.
"They don't have any care for life," Ayala said of Duncan's killers.
D.C. Police in conjunction with ATF and the FBI are offering a $60,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the person or persons involved.
"We need everybody's help to bring justice," Bowser said during a news conference. "And to get a very dangerous person off the streets."
Carmelo was the District's 187th homicide this year and the youngest victim this year, according to Newsham.
Authorities say no suspects have been arrested in connection to the shooting.
