'I need prayer warriors' | Grandmother of toddler shot outside her DC day care asks for community's help

WASHINGTON — The grandmother of the toddler shot outside her Southeast DC day care is speaking out to WUSA9. Two-year-old Emily is recovering from surgery after family members told us she was shot in the stomach and arm last week.

Four people were shot and two of them died, when police said three gunmen opened fire at 22nd Street and Alabama Avenue, SE last Thursday.

“She’s up and moving around, doing therapy and looking around and seeing her mom. So, I’m excited about that,” said Emily’s grandmother Priscilla Johns. “I’m so grateful to God she’s here.”  

Emily, a bright 2-year-old, just started classes at Creative Corners Early Learning Center two weeks before gunshots tore through her tiny body. On Thursday, Emily and her class were caught in the crossfire of a deadly shooting just after 11 a.m.

“They were in a buggy going out for their morning walk that they normally do, and the shots rang out,” Johns recalled explaining how the day care teachers protected the children. “She shielded the children. A lot of them shielded the children. Emily wasn’t the only one in the buggy.”

WUSA9 caught up with Johns as she was leaving a safety meeting inside the MPD’s 7th District Wednesday evening. Officers, District school leaders, and the day care owner – who did not want to talk to us – were trying to determine how to safely re-open the doors to their families and children.

“My daughter Precious is really traumatized because of this,” said Johns. “I don’t think Emily will remember a lot of this. I just don’t want my daughter to blame herself because she sent her daughter to day care. I told her it’s not your fault, you’re a mother and you have to work. You had to do what you had to do.

Johns, who once worked at the day care when it first started nearly 20 years ago, said it’s not the facility's fault, but rather the community's.

“We need the community leaders to come out and be there. You see something, you say something. All that hiding behind stuff, it’s not going to get nowhere. If it was your family what would you do? What would you do?” she asked, “My son was shot around here at 10 years old walking the dog. He survived. He’s 17 years old and he’s here, to God be the glory...and Emily will be here too. Grace and mercy, that’s all I can say, grace and mercy.”

If you’d like to help support the family you can donate to their GoFundMe.