Police reports indicate that the violence erupted around 5:30 p.m. in the middle of a lively neighborhood crowded with shoppers and pedestrians. Mariana, on her way to hand in a résumé for a job application, was suddenly caught in a hail of bullets aimed at a local shopkeeper.

Eyewitnesses described terrifying scenes as gunfire rang out. People ran for cover, but Mariana was struck in the abdomen as she tried to shield herself. Good Samaritans rushed to help, and she was taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors could not save her. Within minutes, her young life was gone.

The shopkeeper, a 45-year-old man believed to be the intended target, was also fatally shot. His death, together with Mariana’s, added to a growing list of violent episodes that have unsettled the district in recent months.

Metropolitan Police officers who were patrolling the area responded immediately. They pursued the suspects and captured a 17-year-old boy, armed and already known to police for prior weapons charges and attempted murder.