Shooting Of 6-Year-Old Girl Sparks Protest

A peaceful protest took to the streets of Washington DC to bring awareness to the increasing issues of gun violence in the city.

The protest, which called on city officials to make legislative changes that will help end the violence, was inspired by a recent tragedy. A six-year-old girl named Nyiah Courtney was killed last Friday, July 16, during a shooting. This prompted a group called ‘We are Mothers’ to organize a peaceful walk through the city streets.

Robert Wood, who was participating in the gathering, told 7 News about why he thinks it’s important to protest. ‘We are tired of seeing what’s going on in our city,’ he said. ‘The youth truly don’t comprehend what love, care and respect really is.’

Nyiah Courtney was out riding her scooter in her neighbourhood when a shooting erupted. She found herself caught in the middle of the gunfire, which also left five adults with injuries. Nyiah Courtney was set to begin first grade this coming fall.

DC Police Chief Robert Contee announced plans to have more police officers patrolling the streets, using bikes and scooters so the community is aware of their presence.

Contee says the move to have more officers present on the streets was the result of calls from the community: 

This is as a direct result of conversations that I’ve had with communities. We want to see police officers out of the cars. We want to see police officers in the community. Well, here you have it.

During the past year, Washington DC has seen a surge in crime with carjacking numbers rising by 74% and already 106 homicides taking place in 2021.