A Dunbar High School varsity athlete was struck by a stray bullet through a classroom window during what authorities described as a confrontation involving fellow students outside the school, according to an arraignment hearing for one of the teen suspects. The student, identified as a promising athlete, was conversing with a teacher moments before the incident occurred, NBC Washington reported.
Details have emerged on the events leading up to the shooting, as two groups, one on foot and the other circling the block in an SUV, came to a head with gunfire erupting on the streets near the school. Azhari Graves, 18, and a 17-year-old were arrested and charged in connection to the shooting. Authorities claim Graves was among the group spotted in an alley near the school, where he was allegedly captured on film wielding a weapon.
Amidst the chaos, a basketball coach stepped in to provide immediate aid to the injured student, applying pressure on the wound with her jacket until emergency responders arrived. Police pieced together the series of events through witness interviews and security footage, eventually determining the shots to have originated from about 15 individuals gathered at a basketball court across from Dunbar. WTOP revealed that both Graves and the 17-year-old were seen holding handguns at the time of the incident.
While court documents do not show Graves discharging his firearm, he is suspected to have been firing towards a vehicle situated between him and the high school. Although Graves' attorney stated his client did not fire the shot that wounded the student, a judge has since ruled to keep Graves held without bond pending a preliminary hearing. In addition to the injury of the varsity athlete, a second student received medical attention after potentially swallowing glass shards from the shattered window, reported FOX 5 DC.
Both teenage suspects, who are also students at Dunbar High School, face charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Carrying a Pistol without a License. The motives behind the shooting remain unclear, with law enforcement continuing to investigate and search for any additional suspects involved in the tragic event.
