The city is mourning the tragic loss of a young life after Ty’ah Settles, a 3-year-old girl, was shot and killed in Southeast D.C. last Friday night. The Metropolitan Police Department has reported that the incident occurred around 9 p.m. near the 2300 block of Harford Street. Ty’ah was in a vehicle at the time she was hit by a stray bullet during what appeared to be an exchange of gunfire, with police finding shell casings in the street, WTOP reported.

Responding to the sound of gunshots, officers were quickly summoned to a firehouse on Irving Street, where they found Settles unconscious and not breathing. An official statement said that she was taken to an hospital by Park Police helicopter, where she succumbed to her injuries. The Seventh District Commander LaShay Makal emphasized the need for community intervention, stating at a news conference, "We're asking the community to step up. We really, really need your help," as recounted by WJLA.

D.C. police officials have declared the incident an "absolute tragedy" and have asserted that Ty’ah was not the intended target of the shootout. In an impassioned plea, an MPD official said during a news conference, "A 3-year-old girl lost her life today, my phone should be ringing right now. We really need the community to reach out and help us," hinting at the senselessness of the situation and the urgency of community assistance in the wake of the violence, as reported by WJLA.

Remembered as an joyous child who loved french fries and pizza with "everything on it," Ty’ah was looking forward to starting day care come August, according to details published by the Washington Post. Those plans were abruptly ended by an act of violence that not only robbed a family of their beloved daughter, but also left a community reeling from the recurring trauma of gun violence that continues to plague the streets of the nation's capital.