In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, April 14, 2023, the life of 16-year-old Mylaki Young was cut short by gunfire in the LeDroit Park neighborhood of Northwest, Washington, D.C. The male teenager was in the 200 block of V Street, NW, at approximately 2:45 a.m. when the fatal encounter unfolded. He was reportedly outside an apartment building when a dark-colored SUV appeared, from which three individuals emerged and opened fire in his direction.
Young attempted to flee the assault, running
into a nearby apartment building for cover, but his attackers pursued him, continuing to shoot. Inside the building, he collapsed from his injuries. When officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived, they found him with no signs of life. It is believed that Mylaki Young was the intended target of the shooting.
In the wake of his death, Mylaki's mother shared her growing fears for her son's safety in the time leading up to the shooting. She described him as a once 'happy-go-lucky' child whose behavior had changed after he became involved with a new group of friends. He had begun to run away from home and get into trouble, which led to him being designated a 'person in need of supervision' by the city. His mother had actively sought intervention and help for her son from the courts and city agencies.
The Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch is actively investigating the murder of Mylaki Young. Authorities have asked for the public's help in identifying a vehicle of interest, a brown 2013 Lincoln MKX with District of Columbia license plates that read 'DOMINGA'. While an 18-year-old named Lorinzo Thompson was questioned by police about the homicide, he was not officially named as a suspect in the case. To date, no arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the death of Mylaki Young.
