WASHINGTON - D.C. Police have identified a 14-year-old who was stabbed to death Friday night in Northwest in what police are investigating as a possible gang-related incident.

Gionvanni Sanchez, of the 1300 block of Underwood Street NW, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, after a fight broke out between two groups of teens at the intersection of 14th and Newton Streets.

On Saturday, the intersection in Columbia Heights was crowded with shoppers and walkers, but just 24 hours ago it was crime scene.

"I saw a lot of commotion; a lot of police cars down there," said Brian Coady, a D.C. resident.

The intersection is where 14-year-old Giovanni Sanchez was left fatally stabbed in the street, in an apparent gang-related attack.

"It's very scary, because this happened right after people would be getting off from work...five o'clock in the afternoon," said Wynter Allen, a D.C. Resident.

Family and friends of Sanchez, who don't wish to be identified, say the 14-year-old often walked in the area to and from school, and don't recall any safety concerns.

But Columbia Heights residents, like Brian Coady are worried as D.C. police believe Sanchez was targeted.

"I'm just horrified by it. These things... I'm just horrified by it," said Coady.

Police say the death of Sanchez is the third area homicide in three days, all within a 1-mile radius. Just on Wednesday, a 21-year-old man was shot in Adams Morgan, near a REC center. And the very next day, someone opened fire on a 37-year-old man inside a home on Kenyon Street. As a result, some residents are too afraid to speak out.

"They're just caught up in the cycle of violence and not thinking there's another way to live...that you don't have to kill somebody who looks like you," said one unidentified woman.

As police and residents search for answers, many who live and work here, are more watchful now.

"It does give me pause. I will be a little bit more careful when I walk around," added Allen.

Just before 5:00 p.m. Friday, Eddie Cordoba says he was riding his bike home from work when he suddenly found himself in the middle of what he describes as a 'gang war.'

Witnesses say about a dozen Hispanic and black teenagers rumbled with knives in the heart of busy Columbia Heights, right in front of a dance studio where dozens of children were inside.

Now, many long-time Columbia Heights residents like Daryl Edwards wonder if the recent redevelopment of shops, restaurants and bars in the neighborhood will always be overshadowed by a long-standing gang problem. "In spite of all the nice clubs and restaurants, you never know when something can happen... it's just too much," lamented Edwards.

Cordoba, who called police after the stabbing, says he worries about the safety of his family. "I worry about my mother, because she comes home at six o'clock when this was going on," he said.

Homicide Detectives, Mayor Adrian Fenty, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier (web | news | bio) , and D.C. Council member Jim Graham all went to the scene of the crime.

Police continue to investigate the incident , and are now looking for a group of eight teens in connection with this crime.

Meanwhile, Family and friends of Sanchez say they have never heard of him getting in trouble, and don't know why the attack would have happened. Police have released no information about the attackers.

Anyone with information regarding the case to call police at (202) 729-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIME. D.C. Police offer a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest or conviction of any person or persons responsible for the crime.
Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to D.C. Crime Solvers at 1-800-673-2777 and to the department's TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by the caller to D.C. Crime Solvers leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

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