Gunshot violence takes toll in D.C.

April 27, 2000
Web posted at: 5:55 a.m. EDT (0955 GMT)

In this story: 'Tremendous impact on the entire student body' 'I don't know of anyone who has retired as a drug dealer' RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNN) -- When shots rang out at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., seven children were left wounded. One continues to battle for life, with a gunshot wound to the head.

It continues to be a difficult year for some children in the nation's capital. Since the beginning of the academic year at least 17 have been killed by gunfire -- more than the number killed in the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado.

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Unlike Columbine, many of the deaths have occurred one at a time, often going unnoticed by the media.

"I dare say many of our elementary school students have seen death on the streets, or violence in the street," said Art Bridges, Principal of Ballou Senior High School.

Though none of the shootings occurred in the schools, students are left coping with the death of their peers.

Diane Powell, Director of Student Intervention Services, said, "It has a tremendous impact on the entire student body and there's always residual and there's this great sense of loss in the school community."

As in the rest of the nation, violent crime has been falling in D.C., but the problem of gun violence remains.

"Even though crime is going down throughout our city and even though this is a rare event on a property like the National Zoo, the fact of the matter is youth violence in our city is way too high," said D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams.

This is, however, a problem on a national scale. According to the FBI, 1,741 young people aged 17 and younger were killed by guns between 1997 and 1998.

Asst. Chief Rodney Monroe, of the Metropolitan Police Department, said, "I think the problem is much larger than Washington, D.C. itself because we've seen these types of incidents across the country."

Bridges says there are no easy answers. Some of those killed are caught up in the drug trade. For those students left behind he has a message.

"I don't know of anyone who has ever retired as a drug dealer," Bridges said. "It does not work. You are going to pay.

"You're going to jail, you're going to be shot, you're going to be killed."

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