(WASHINGTON) — Jason Lewis, the man accused of shooting 13-year-old Karon Blake outside his home earlier this month, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed, according to Washington, D.C., police.
Blake was shot and killed after an alleged interaction with Lewis, who said he saw Blake appear to be “tampering with” with cars shortly before 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.
The family of Blake has been calling for criminal charges in the case, including at a public forum attended by a police representative. Authorities have only said the investigation was ongoing and police were working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
If convicted, the commission of second-degree murder while armed with a gun includes a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in addition to the penalty for second-degree murder.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in the days following the shooting that Lewis was a D. C. government employee, but did not specify what department.
Bowser said that despite being mayor since 2015, she did not know the man personally but said he did not work in public service. She said he was a long-time government employee. During her remarks, she noted that the body-worn camera from the police officer’s response would not be released as the investigation continues.
“It’s a horrible situation,” Bowser said on Jan. 11. “And we had a 13-year-old that died and we don’t have all the facts and the people who are responsible for gathering the facts [and] make charging decisions are doing it just as fast as possible. And so that is a very uncomfortable place we’re at but it is also the necessary place to get to just decisions.”
Lewis’ gun was registered, according to police.
Sean Long, Blake’s grandfather, told ABC News on Jan. 13 that the shooter should have called police instead of taking the law into his own hands.
“Everybody sneaks outside. Everybody go outside. Everybody do bad things,” Long said. “But that don’t mean that you’re supposed to be killed. They don’t mean that somebody supposed to put a gun on you. That don’t mean cause you touch a car someone look out their window and shoot you.”
Ward 5 Council Member Zachary Parker had called for charges in the shooting as well.
“No car or material possession is worth a life — under any circumstances,” Parker told ABC News in a statement just after the shooting. “I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon’s life.”
ABC News’ Teddy Grant contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.