Police are asking the public for help identifying a suspect after a mass shooting in Washington DC left a 15-year-old boy dead.
The shooting occurred on Sunday night during a festival called "Morechella," which was celebrating the Juneteenth holiday, according to police.
Three people were injured in the shooting and the 15-year-old boy was killed. One of the victims, a DC Metropolitan police officer, is reportedly recovering well. The other victims are reportedly in stable condition and recovering.
The police had not apprehended a suspect as of Tuesday afternoon. Authorities are still collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses according to the department.
The DC Metropolitan Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the shooter's arrest and conviction.
"The person who took Chase's life and brought this violence to our community must be held accountable," DC Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said in a statement.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-9099.
The incident occurred while police were busy clearing the festival area after a fight had broken out between attendees. As police were clearing people from the area shots rang out and several people were injured.
Mr Contee believes that all four people were shot by the same gun. Police did not fire their weapons during the incident.
In addition to those injured by the gunfire, several attendees were trampled as others tried to escape the area.
Mr Contee said the event had not sought out official permits from the city, which contributed to the chaos that ultimately culminated in the shooting.
“This is one of the reasons we don’t want unpermitted events taking place in our city,” he said during a press conference. “Unfortunately, things like this can happen when you have the wrong mix of people, or people who introduce firearms into a situation.”
He noted during the press conference that DC Metropolitan Police had confiscated several illegal weapons earlier in the day and expressed his frustration with the prevalence of illegal firearms in the city.
“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 said.
