WASHINGTON — As of Monday evening, 13 people have been shot in the District, according to police. A triple shooting in Shaw follows an extremely violent weekend in D.C., where police investigated seven shootings, with 10 people shot.
Some of the youngest victims were Jaime Zelaya, 16, and his best friend Wilfredo Torres, 17.
WUSA9 went to 13th Street in Northwest, D.C. Monday, the site of a triple shooting early Saturday evening. There, we found Lorena Leva, crying out for her young son Wilfredo Torres, who she will never see again.
At around 5 p.m. Saturday, D.C. Police say at least one gunman came into the home of Zelaya and opened fire. The teen was killed along with his friend Torres. Zelaya's mother was also shot but survived.
The Zelaya family said the mother is in critical condition and was in surgery today. D.C. Police say the shooting was not random, but they are still searching for the gunman and a motive.
"To be honest, it's a nightmare you can't wake up from," Zelaya's uncle told WUSA9 Monday as he pointed to shattered glass.
"He was a great kid. He went to school, came home and hung out with his best friend. And this is what happened," Zelaya's uncle said. He asked not to be identified out of fear.
According to the family, Zelaya was a sophomore at Paul Public Charter School and Torres was months away from graduating from E.L. Haynes Charter School. Monday, the school's CEO, Hilary Darilek, described Torres as a "thoughtful and generous person".
“The E.L. Haynes school community is mourning the loss of one of our students today. An E.L. Haynes senior, Wilfredo Torres was on track to graduate this spring and was an integral member of our high school community. Wilfredo was a beloved student, known as a thoughtful and generous friend. We remain concerned about the violence our students face in the neighborhood and will continue to work with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and community partners to support our students,” Hilary Darilek, Chief Executive Officer, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School said.
The teen's family, insisting tonight that the boys were good teens who stayed out of trouble. Torres' mother spoke to us with the help of an interpreter.
"I feel so bad. I tell parents to keep your sons in your home. But in this case, they were in their home and it still happened," Lorena Leva said.
For hours Monday, D.C. Police cadets aided in the investigation by door knocking and conducting interviews. They were hoping to get more clues as to who killed two best friends, two teens, who died together.
Jaime Zelaya's family has set up a gofundme account to help pay for funeral expenses.