About 11 D.C. churches, including the Plymouth Congregation Church of Christ, participated in a 72-hour "Do No Harm" prayer on Monday evening.

DC News Now reported that the purpose of the gathering is to address the ongoing gun violence in the neighborhood.

The report said participants engaged in discourse, prayer, singing, and problem-solving strategies.

Pastor Voices Concern on Gun Violence

Police Chief Robert Contee of Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department reported the shooting and death of 13-year-old Karon Blake some 16 hours after the first session of the 72-hour prayer began.

According to Plymouth Congregational Church of Christ's Pastor Emeritus, Graylan Hagler, the recent spate of gun-related crimes in the nation's capital leave people 'bewildered, frustrated, and enraged.'

He claimed that street gun violence causes hopelessness and a deadly combination of factors.

Hagler told the news outlet that 'frustration is understandable, given that the city withheld the information' concerning the brutal killing of Karon Blake. 

Hagler claimed that the ongoing problem with addressing violence reflects the three-week delay in disclosing information and Lewis's arrest.

He thinks religious leaders need to work harder locally to help the community and provide help for those in need.

Shooting, Killing of a Youngster

CNN reported that D.C. police charged Jason Lewis, 41, on Tuesday with second-degree murder while carrying a weapon concerning Blake's death on Jan. 7. Lewis pleaded not guilty to the charge, the news outlet bared.

According to the report, Lewis allegedly opened fire while listening to noises outside his house. He claimed that he heard banging sounds early that morning while still in bed.

He reportedly grabbed a revolver as he spotted a car and some kids wearing all black. Lewis alleged that Blake charged toward him, thus prompting him to fire at the teen. But, surveillance footage from the area in front of Lewis' house reveals that Blake did not show hostility against Lewis.

Blake was actually saying "I'm sorry" several times, and the deceased frequently yelled, "I'm a kid."

When an officer arrived, Lewis was giving Blake chest compressions, apparently in an attempt to revive the victim.

First responders brought the youngster to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead due to multiple gunshot wounds from Lewis's gun.

Judge Judith Pipe described the incident during Lewis's court appearance on Tuesday as "an exceptional tragedy."

She decided that, despite Lewis's attorney's request, Lewis would be held in custody until further proceedings.

Alarming Rate of Gun Violence in DC 

Based on a Washington Post report, Northeastern Washington's Deanwood Recreation Center recently hosted a two-hour gathering to address the alarming cases of gun violence.

Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and her public safety team outlined how her administration discusses violence prevention.

The conference was held when the district was suffering from murders and gun violence, especially when it involved young people.

According to Bowser, the sound of gunfire traumatizes the neighborhood, and Washington, D.C., is known as the murder capital of the country.

She admitted that she currently feels more fear about safety in the city than the members of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, The Washington Post report noted. 

Even though there were fewer violent crimes last year compared to 2021, there were more than 200 homicides for the second time in almost 20 years.

Last year, 16 youngsters died from gunshot wounds, twice as many as in 2021. And through the first three weeks of this year, homicides have increased, the news outlet said.

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