Police: 15-year-old stabbed, seriously hurt near U.S. Capitol

WASHINGTON — A 15-year-old boy was stabbed and seriously injured Friday afternoon near the U.S. Capitol after an altercation with a teenage girl aboard a Metro train, police said.

The stabbing occurred around 12:30 p.m. at the Capitol South Metro station, about a block from the Cannon House Office Building, where some House members have offices. There’s no indication the incident had any connection to the Capitol or Congress.

Investigators suspect the stabbing stemmed from a dispute among a group of teenagers, and they believe the suspect, described as a 14-year-old girl, stabbed the victim aboard an Orange Line train, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said.

The victim was able to get off the train and seek help. He approached the station manager’s booth and then collapsed, according to Dan Stessel, a spokesman for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Three Metro employees ran to his aid, but he was not breathing when emergency crews arrived at the scene, officials said.

The boy, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was taken to the hospital in “very critical condition” and was undergoing surgery, according to Newsham.

Metro Transit Police closed the station as detectives continued to investigate Friday afternoon. Police were reviewing surveillance camera footage from both the train and station and working to determine what caused the altercation.

Police later stopped a teenage girl and were questioning her in connection with the altercation, the chief said.

The stabbing occurred at around the same time police announced an initiative to combat a surge in crime and homicides in the nation’s capital. Police had investigated at least four homicides earlier this week.

“I think we all need to pay close attention to the violence going on in this city,” Newsham said. “The Metropolitan Police Department is going to do everything we possibly can to stop this violence.”