Police in Washington DC are facing pressure to charge a homeowner who fatally shot a 13-year-old boy.
\nKaron Blake, who is black, was gunned down in the early hours of last Saturday, investigators said.
\nAccording to police, the homeowner, who is also black, said he heard noises outside his home and saw the teenager “tampering with vehicles”.
\nOfficials said the man went outside with his registered gun and shot the boy following an “interaction”.
\nNo criminal charges have been pressed so far, and police have resisted public calls to name the homeowner who opened fire.
\nPolice said the man called 911 after he shot the child.
\nOfficers said they found him performing CPR on the boy when they arrived at the scene in the north-east of the city.
\nThe shooting took place in Brookland, a neighbourhood that has undergone rapid gentrification in recent years, like other parts of the US capital.
\nKaron – who attended the nearby Brookland Middle School – was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
\nPolice have said the teenager had “gunshot wounds”, but have not disclosed how many times he was shot.
\nKaron’s grandfather voiced frustration at a meeting with city council members on Tuesday night.
\nSean Long said: “I didn’t know you could get a gun permit and shoot someone for messing with a car.”
\nHe added: “I’m black, if I were to kill a white boy on that street, they would’ve put me under the jail.”
\nMr Long told local media he was “sad, depressed and mad”, not knowing whether his grandson would see justice.
\nAn online fundraiser posted by someone identifying himself as Karon’s father said the boy had been “a quiet and inquisitive scholar who loved fashion and football”.
\nA video on Twitter posted after the city council meeting shows dozens of people chanting “Justice for Karon” in the streets.
\nFlyers have been posted in the area by an individual or group calling itself the “DC Safety Squad”, demanding police release the shooter’s name and photo.
\n“We have compiled the names and identities of all homeowners on the street and we intend to be able to identify Karon’s murderer,” the flyer says.
\nIn a press conference on Tuesday, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee condemned “reckless” misinformation about the shooting. He said innocent people were being accused and having their photos shared around.
\nMr Contee, who is also black, said suggestions that the shooting was racially motivated were “wrong”.
\nThe police chief told reporters the homicide branch was still reviewing the case for potential criminal charges.
\nHe said that for the shooting to be legally justifiable “the person has to be in fear of their life or the life of another”.<\/p>\n