By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
Shortly after the conclusion of a candlelight vigil at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, Md., for three former football players killed in a car crash on July 6, gunshots rang out in the school’s parking lot.
Citizens flagged down Prince George’s County Police officers still in the area, who rushed to the scene on July 12 where they would find a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds.
According to Capt. Sonny Batth, acting commander, Prince George’s County Major Crimes Division, the investigation into who shot the two victims and why remains in the early stages.
“Our officers, who had been outside of Wise High School during the vigil, had been instructed to remain there in order to ensure that everyone had left the area,” Batth said. “As they were leaving the vicinity, gunshots were heard by citizens who flagged them down. When they arrived, they saw citizens performing life-saving measures on two victims who were transported to area hospitals. The adult male was pronounced dead at the hospital while the woman is expected to survive.”
The shooting occurred on the evening of July 12 after several hundred people gathered in the school’s gymnasium for a vigil where they paid tribute to three friends and former Wise High football teammates: Minnesota Vikings rookie Khyree Jackson, 24; Isaiah Hazel, 23; and Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, who had been in a Dodge Charger on Route 4 when a driver struck their car.
Police have not shared the identity of the man or woman shot nor have they provided information about a motive for the shooting or a suspect. Police would not speculate on whether the shooting was related to the vigil.
However, the status of the woman was updated on July 13. She continues to recover after suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
During the vigil, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy asked the families to have patience, adding that it is her job “to seek justice.”
“With your patience, we will continue to seek the truth,” she said.
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