A fight between teenagers ended in deadly gunfire Thursday after police in the District said a suspect shot and killed one of the teens on the Brookland Metro Station platform.
Metro Transit Police’s Deputy Chief Maurice McKinney said the male suspect, who remained at large Thursday evening, wasn’t involved in the melee when he opened fire just before 4 p.m. at the Metro station in Northeast.
Officers tried to save the teenager’s life at the scene, but police said he died on the platform. His identity hasn’t been made public yet.
“It is undetermined how many shots were fired at this time, and it is undetermined if the victim was the intended target,” Chief McKinney said.
The chief said special police officers at the station shielded patrons and got them to safety after the shots rang out.
Authorities described the suspect as a light-skinned Black male, who was last seen wearing a black jacket, black hoodie, light blue jeans, a gray backpack, and black-and-white shoes.
Metro said the incident caused the Brookland Metro Station to be shut down as Red Line trains are bypassing the station in both directions. Shuttle buses are being offered to riders instead.
Nearby Catholic University — whose campus is just steps away from the station — ordered students and staff to shelter-in-place shortly after the gunfire erupted on the platform.
Metropolitan Police are leading the investigation into the killing.