WASHINGTON — CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated an arrest had been made. At this time, DC Police have identified a suspect they are searching for, but no arrest has been made.
A gender reveal party in the District turned deadly on Saturday when police say a man opened fire with a handgun.
The suspect has now been identified as 18-year-old Nyjell Outler of Southeast D.C. The shooting took place on Madison Street in Northeast. Outler is wanted on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant charging him with second-degree murder while armed.
While it’s not always illegal to have a handgun in D.C., you cannot carry a handgun on the streets of DC unless you are 21 or older and have a concealed carry permit.
The victim in Saturday's shooting was identified as 21-year-old Demetris Johnson, of southeast D.C. He was pronounced dead on the scene. A second victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, including gunshot wounds to both legs.
The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in D.C. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has made getting guns off the street one of the city’s core missions. She signed an executive order in February to declare gun violence a public health crisis following the rise in shootings in the city.
This new order comes as recent data shows the city's gun violence resulted in 922 people shot and 198 homicides in 2020. As of Feb. 17, homicides are up by 14% compared to this time last year. Of those killed in shootings, Bowser said data shows 95% of the victims were Black with an increase in the number of female and juvenile victims.