Venezuelan migrant dead after shooting in NE DC gas station parking lot, police say

WASHINGTON (7News) — A migrant from Venezuela who was bused from Texas to D.C. died Thursday night during a shooting in Northeast, according to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officials.

Carlos Javier Blanco Fernandez, 38, was killed in the parking lot of an Exxon gas station in the 2200 block of New York Avenue as he was working on his car around 5:30 p.m., officials said.

Blanco Fernandez’s family members told 7News he was among the refugees who arrived in the District by bus in September.

He was working on his car when a van drove up and someone opened fire, officials said.

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Blanco Fernandez’ car remained on the scene until Friday afternoon when his friends managed to fix it enough to move it from a parking lot.

Jacqueline Manning, the ANC Commissioner for the New York Bladensburg area, said she was not surprised by the homicide in the Exxon parking lot because the area has become "a hangout for migrants" and the city's doing little to monitor the refugees coming from Texas.

"They're cutting hair, having sex in public, behind that wall," Manning said. "There's a lot of trash there, a lot of drinking."

Police have no suspects at this point, but some of the people who live and work in the area talked about disputes erupting in the parking lot which they said has become a gathering place for refugees staying in nearby shelters.

"I do not wish to suggest migrants coming here are the reason we're seeing rising violence in the city," said DC Councilmember Zachary Parker. "This is one data point out of many. The real problem is we do not have a plan for keeping residents safe."

"When you have people who are not understanding what's going on and they don't get along with each other and there's alcohol, whatever else is in play, it becomes a little Pandora's Box," Manning added.