A man is recovering in hospital after bravely acting as a human shield for his 21-year-old girlfriend during a near-fatal carjacking in Washington, DC
Couple were sitting in their car in Northwest D.C. shortly after 8 p.m. Monday when they said a masked man approached them and demanded to give them a vehicle, FOX 5 affiliate reported.
As the couple tried to drive away, the suspect started shootinghitting each of them five times, according to the report.
Law enforcement vehicle photo for the DC Police Department. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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The woman’s family told FOX 5 that her boyfriend “shielded her with his body and took the brunt of the bullets,” and she suffered a punctured lung.
While the couple managed to escape armed suspectlater they crashed a quarter of a mile down the road.
A good Samaritan called the family to let them know what had happened.
Washington, DC continues to face rising rates of violent crime. (Anadolu Agency)
A D.C. man and woman were each shot five times, according to family members. (iStock)
“At first I thought this couldn’t be happening,” a family member told FOX 5. “I asked her if she could please come closer to her so I could hear her voice and know she’s okay. Everyone needs to feel safe when they walk out their door, they shouldn’t have to worry about someone taking their property or life.”
woman underwent surgery and will likely need additional procedures, according to the report.
D.C. police had not publicly identified the suspect as of Wednesday night, FOX 5 reported.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the department for comment.
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FOX 5’s Homa Bash contributed to this article.
