On Friday in Washington, D.C., an 18-year-old suspect was shot by a U.S. Marshal after attempting to carjack the officer near the residence of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning on the 2100 block of 11th Street NW.
According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police, the suspect, identified as Kentrell Flowers, pointed a handgun at a Deputy U.S. Marshal in an apparent carjacking attempt. The Marshal responded by firing approximately four shots at Flowers through the vehicle window. Another Marshal also discharged his weapon in response.
The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that the involved Deputies were part of the unit responsible for protecting the homes of Supreme Court justices. Fortunately, Justice Sotomayor was not present at her residence during the incident and was not in any danger.
Flowers sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the mouth and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Authorities recovered a .40 caliber handgun with ammunition from the scene.
Following his medical treatment, Flowers was arrested and is facing charges including armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
Carjacking incidents have been a concern in Washington, D.C., with 258 reported cases so far this year. The data indicates that a significant portion of these offenses involved firearms. However, there has been a 46% decrease in carjacking incidents compared to the same period last year.
Notable carjacking incidents in the city include the shooting of former Trump administration member Mike Gill in January and an attempted car break-in involving a U.S. Secret Service agent protecting President Biden's granddaughter in November. Additionally, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar was carjacked near the Capitol by armed assailants in a separate incident.