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Jason Lewis, 41, surrendered himself to police on Tuesday, Jan. 31, where he was charged with second-degree murder for his role in the fatal shooting of Blake on Saturday, Jan. 7.
In a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Contee said that "detectives were able to gather enough information to obtain an arrest warrant,” and found new evidence that led to the murder charge for Lewis, who gunned down the teen from his doorstep when he thought someone was tampering with vehicles in his neighborhood.
“Lewis exited his residence, and upon exiting a shot was fired, and Blake and another unidentified person began to run, and Karon ran toward Lewis, who fired a shot at him, killing him,” he said.
The gun involved in the fatal shooting was legally registered, according to police.
After shooting Blake, investigators said that Lewis performed CPR on the teen before calling the police to report the incident. He’s since been placed on administrative leave from his job in DC amid the investigation.
The fatal shooting has left the community divided, with outcry coming from all sides as the police were pressed to release the name of the shooter during a time of unrest.
“I continue to have serious questions about the handling of this case,” Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker said in a statement after the announcement of the murder charge. "It took almost one month to press charges, during which the Ward 5 community was given few answers, allowing misinformation and speculation to spread.
“Community members understandably have questions about whether justice would have come swifter if Karon’s background and circumstances were different, or if Jason Lewis was not an employee of the District of Columbia.”
Blake, a Northeast, DC native, was a student at Brookland Middle School, which has reportedly felt a void since his death.
“Karon began his educational journey at Noyes (Elementary School),” an email sent to his school community read following his death. “Last year he was promoted to (Brookland Middle School) as a sixth-grade scholar.
“He was a quiet and inquisitive scholar who loved fashion and football. Although he loved his neighborhood, he loved Brookland MS (the faculty and his peers) and the structure it presented to him even more.”
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