DC police continue to look for answers in the fatal shooting of a baby inside an Anacostia apartment last week.
Police are hoping to find out who is responsible for the 23-month-old Legend Wheeler's death and also find the now missing weapon.
"The Metropolitan Police Department is working very hard to really get to the bottom of what happened in this case," said D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee during the press conference Monday.
During a news conference with Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chief Contee told reporters family members have lawyered up and apparently aren't cooperating with police.
“We want to get really their side of the story, as to what happened to this child and those family members who were present, have opted to seek counsel," Contee said. "And as they’re seeking counsel that makes it a little bit more difficult s to really get the story as to what happened to this child.”
Officers found the boy with a gunshot wound in the River Heights Condominium complex in the 2300 block of Chester St. in Southeast Washington Wednesday afternoon, according to Contee. The toddler was taken to a hospital and died there. Then they learned the gun was missing.
Police were initially told that the child got a hold of the gun and shot himself.
But when the chief was asked if the child shot himself, Contee said: "I think anything is possible, probable is another issue, and if that is the case then we need the people who were present to just tell us what happened."
"He knew all his colors," Tawanda Barber said. "He had a big, bright future ahead of him."
This shooting happened just days before another shooting on the same 2300 block of Chester Street southeast. The shooting Saturday was at a party, the chief said Monday it was unrelated.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, they were called out to an aggravated assault around 1:45 a.m. Saturday near the 2200 block Chester Street SE.
Police say when they arrived, the suspect, 49-year-old Donald Willis, Jr. had a rifle in his possession. At least one officer fired their gun when the suspect did not cooperate with commands to drop their weapon. Willis was not hit by the gunfire.
Willis then fled in a vehicle but crashed several blocks away from the scene. After the crash, police found Willis and arrested him. Two guns were recovered from the scenes.
Mayor Bowser reminded citizens of the reward program she launched a week ago to turn in illegal gun toters.
"I’m going to reiterate that program right now: Somebody comes to your house for a holiday part with a long gun, call the police. Call the police if you know that you have babies in your house with guns, you don’t want them there," she said. "You may be eligible for an award up to $2,500 dollars depending on the gun up to $7,500, but more important than that it could be a two-year-old alive.”