14-year-old girl shot, killed while riding in car in Tacoma

TACOMA — A 14-year-old girl was shot and killed Wednesday while riding in a car in Tacoma, Washington, police said.

The Tacoma Police Department said on Twitter at about 1 p.m. Wednesday that juveniles were inside a car near 19th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in the Hilltop neighborhood when someone shot at them.

The girl who was hit was driven to the 1900 block of South Ainsworth where medics tried unsuccessfully to save her, according to police.

Police said the scene remained active and urged people to stay away from the area. No further information was immediately released by police.

Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards said she was angered by the girl’s death, KOMO-TV reported.

“Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen a spike in shootings and fatalities and, this morning, a 14-year-old girl was tragically shot and killed,” she said in a written statement. “In the face of these ongoing tragedies, I am beyond devastated. I am furious.”

The mayor said the city will honor the girl’s life.