A 13-year-old boy who was shot to death in what police said was an attempted carjacking had nine prior carjacking and robbery charges on his record.
Vernard Toney Jr. was killed Saturday when he and another youth allegedly tried to carjack an off-duty federal security officer in Washington D.C.
The officer was sitting in his car in the District's Penn Quarter neighborhood just after 10 p.m., waiting for his shift to begin, when he was approached by the youngsters, who demanded he exit the vehicle, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is unclear if Toney was armed, but the officer later told police that one of the youths "had his hand in his front waistband pocket as if he had a handgun."
As the officer was getting out of his car, he pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting Toney, police said.
Toney was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Toney's 12-year-old accomplice, who ran from the scene after the shooting, was arrested and is charged with armed carjacking. His name is not being released due to his age.
Toney had several run-ins with the law lately and was arrested in May on nine prior carjacking and robbery charges, The Washington Post reported. Some of those charges were dismissed but he was awaiting prosecution on others, per the report.
The incident remains under investigation.