In Washington D.C. a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed during a local music event. Several others were wounded during a bout of gunfire, including a police officer, The New York Times reported.
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This all occurred on June 19, amid the Juneteenth celebrations near the culturally significant street corner on 14th and U Streets Northwest. The music event was a reoccurring free festival called Moechella. Moechella is a portmanteau that blends the slang term for friend, “moe,” and the festival name “Coachella.” Additionally, the festival’s social media describes its event as an “Advocacy Festival Amplifying the Culture of Washington DC.”
During the festival, however, “several individuals were shot,” the Metro Police Chief Robert J. Contee III confirmed at a news conference. Also according to the police department, Moechella was an unauthorized event. “This is one of the reasons we don’t want unpermitted events taking place in our city,” Chief Contee said. “Unfortunately, things like this can happen when you have the wrong mix of people or people who introduce firearms into a situation.
“Illegal firearms in the hands of people who should not have them make events like this unsafe for people who just want to enjoy the beautiful weather, who want to enjoy Father’s Day, who want to enjoy our city,” he continued.
The police are currently searching for suspects as this is a developing case.
Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
