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Parks And Rec Employee In DC Who Killed 13-Year-Old Karon Blake Learns Prison Fate In Court

A District man who gunned down a 13-year-old boy during a chaotic confrontation over a string of car break-ins is headed to prison for over 12 years, officials announced.

Karon Blake

Karon Blake

Photo Credit: GoFundMe

Jason Lewis, 42, a former DC Parks and Recreation employee, was sentenced this week, to 12 ½ years behind bars for the shooting death of Karon Blake, a middle schooler, during an early-morning incident on Quincy Street NE in January 2023, according to federal prosecutors.

The case rocked the city when Lewis, armed with a loaded handgun, stepped outside his home around 4 a.m. on Jan. 7, 2023, after spotting two people breaking into cars. 

Surveillance footage showed Lewis firing at the suspects as they fled. 

Moments later, Blake ran toward Lewis, who shot the unarmed teen twice in the left side, killing him.

After shooting Blake, investigators said that Lewis performed CPR on the teen before calling the police to report the incident. He was then placed on administrative leave from his job in DC amid the investigation.

Lewis claimed self-defense, saying the initial suspects had threatened him, but a jury wasn’t buying it. He was found guilty in August 2024 of voluntary manslaughter while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and multiple firearm offenses.

Lewis, who was arrested on Jan. 31, 2023, and briefly released in March of that year, is now locked up for good.

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