The Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia is offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who can help identify the suspect who opened fire at a downtown street festival, killing a 15-year-old boy and wounding three other people, including a police officer.
NBC News reported that the deadly shooting happened on Sunday night, June 19, as cops were trying to shut down an informal Juneteenth event known as Moechella, which celebrates Black culture and a genre of music called go-go that originated on the streets of the nation's capital.
Washington D.C.'s chief of police, Robert J. Contee III, issued a statement on Monday, June 20, saying, "The person who took Chase's life and brought this violence to our community must be held accountable."
Shooting happened in area full of bars and restaurants
Contee did not divulge the last name of the slain teenager, nor did he update the condition of the MPD officer, who was shot in the leg, and the two other shooting survivors. All were in stable condition in area hospitals as of Sunday evening.
The police chief also did not provide a motive for the latest outburst of deadly gun violence near U and 14th streets Northwest, an area full of restaurants and bars. He said in his statement that the investigation is ongoing as detectives canvass the scene to collect evidence and conduct witness interviews.
According to D.C. police, the Moechella organizers did not have a permit for the Juneteenth event, which was starting to wind down when the shooting started. Contee revealed they were investigating how that happened, saying, "When things spill out into the street... that becomes a problem."
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed astonishment that the shooting erupted even with hundreds of police officers in the area.
"We have a child who was killed today at an event that did not have any proper planning for the number of people who were here. We need some accountability," Bowser said.
Moechella widely known in music circles
Moechella founder Justin Johnson, also known as Yaddiya, is a noted artist, activist, and go-go booster. A photo book Johnson helped curate last year, "Long Live GoGo: The Movement," was published to celebrate the percussive sound. The genre's most famous single, "Da Butt," by E.U. (Experience Unlimited), was featured in Spike Lee's second film, "School Daze," back in 1988.
Moechella is widely known in music circles, and it was mentioned in the city's alternative weekly newspaper, City Paper, on Thursday. The District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency, a federal entity, is also featured on a Moechella flier as a supporter of the event.
The city's Department of Parks and Recreation boasted in 2018 that it "hosted" a Moechella event. They described the event as a festival filled with gardening activities, live performances by local artists for students, and craft-building workshops.
