WASHINGTON — A young girl is in the hospital and a community is searching for answers after a shooting on Mother's Day.
Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Andre Wright said the shooting happened just before 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Wright said a family was driving home when they heard gunshots in the 3700 block of Hayes Street Northeast and realized their 10-year-old daughter, Arianna Davis, was hit by gunfire.
When the family realized what had happened, they drove Arianna to a firehouse in Southeast D.C. DC Fire and EMS worked to treat the girl's injuries before she was taken to an area hospital. Wright said Arianna had critical, life-threatening injuries.
At last check, Arianna was in critical condition and her family is with her. Police do not believe the 10-year-old girl was the target in the shooting, nor anyone in her family.
"Looking at the amount of rounds on the scene, and the direction of travel, we believe the 10-year-old was accidentally hit in a barrage of gunfire," Wright said. Wright said they do not know exactly how many rounds were fired, but estimated the number to be at least 50.
MPD, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI Washington Field Office are offering a combined reward of $30,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for shooting Arianna.
Wright described the investigation following the shooting as an "all hands on deck" effort to gather information. Detectives were going door to door, interviewing neighbors Sunday night while other officers and technicians were gathering any available evidence.
"We have to get to the bottom of this, this is a heinous act, and we're going to do all that we must do to bring these individuals to justice," Wright said in a press conference.
Neighbors in the area are fed up with the violence and described the situation as sad.
"It's been constantly going on like this. Every time the weather breaks, all hell breaks loose," one neighbor said. "I don't know what we can do."
"I ducked, I tried to get on my floor I tried rolling," another said. "I tried to make it down my steps I couldn’t make it down my steps, I crawled back upstairs."
"This is the second time this has happened in a few weeks."
Police do not have any suspect information or descriptions. So far, no arrests have been made.
Neighbors in the area said they want a response from the District's elected officials.
"We need more of the mayor coming here and see what's going on," a woman said. "We never see them. We only see them when it's time to vote. If we voted for you we need you to take action."
During a press conference about new safety legislation introduced by the mayor's administration, Police Chief Robert Contee III begged for the community's help and addressed the suspects directly.
"To the cowards who fired those shots, you hit a 10-year-old child," Contee said.
While the shooting investigation is in its preliminary stages, police asked the public for any information that may help them find who fired the shots. Anyone with tips should contact MPD at 202-727-9099 or text the department's tip line at 50411.