Father Shot To Death In Front His Son And Youth Football Team In DC

A man was shot and killed in front of his son and a football field full of other children in Southeast D.C. Thursday evening, police say.

Someone gunned down 36-year-old D’Angelo Taylor in the 1500 block of Mississippi Avenue SE about 7:20 p.m., police said. Taylor died at the scene. The field is close to Malcolm X Elementary School and Oxon Run Park.

He was watching a youth football practice with other parents and children when the shooting happened right in front of them, police said. Taylor’s son was among those who witnessed it.

A family member said Taylor had gone to the practice to try to reconnect with his 11-year-old son.

“I know what it’s like to lose a parent at a very young age,” coach Kevin Cannaday said. “It is very traumatizing.”

Cannaday founded the nonprofit Triumphant Leaders Youth Mentoring Program. The Triumphant Lions practice on a field across Mississippi Avenue from the red brick apartments where he grew up. It’s a couple blocks from where he lost his mother at age 17.

Cannaday uses leadership, mentoring and behavioral health skills he learned in prison. He washes cars to pay for program costs and equipment. No child is turned away because their family can’t afford it.

“A lot of my youth, you know, they have behavioral health issues,” Cannaday said. “By the time they get to me, within two weeks, oh, it’s a turnaround.”

Cannaday says it’s hard to try and get kids to believe they matter when violence and lawlessness surrounds them.

“We have cars that came down here, flew up here in the middle of our practice, drove up through there, crashed in the woods because he did try not to hit our kids but he did ride through there, got out, tossed his gun,” Cannaday said.

Practice was canceled Friday.

Cannaday said he’d like to see a D.C. police cruiser parked there on practice days and even invites officers to volunteer with the team if they’d like.

Police said they don’t believe that the shooting stemmed from any dispute at the practice. They believe the Taylor was targeted by the shooter.