Man Killed, Boy Hurt in Shooting

5-Year-Old Hit in Shoulder After Assailants Entered Home

Masked gunmen wounded a 5-year-old boy yesterday in a Northwest Washington rowhouse where several children were staying and fatally shot a man who was there with them, police said. The child's injury was not considered life-threatening.

The shooting occurred about 8:15 a.m. in a tan-brick rowhouse in the 600 block of Kenyon Street NW in the Parkview neighborhood, just east of Georgia Avenue.

Police said two assailants wearing ski masks entered the home and, after firing several shots, fled in a red minivan, possibly with Georgia license plates.

A vehicle matching that description was found gutted by flames a few hours later behind an apartment building in the 4600 block of Livingston Road SE, police said. Investigators were searching it for evidence last night.

The dead man, identified by police as Franklin Johnson, 37, was the apparent target of the attack, police said.

A police official initially said Johnson was believed to be the boy's father, but investigators said last night they were unsure whether the two were related.

At least three children and perhaps a few more were in the house when the shooting occurred, police said. Some of the youngsters apparently were foster children, they said, and others were children of people related to Johnson or his girlfriend.

The wounded boy was hit in the left shoulder by a bullet, police said. They said he was recovering in a hospital after undergoing surgery yesterday.

The motive for the attack was under investigation last night.

"I'm told they knocked on the door," D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said of the assailants. "I'm told the 5-year-old opened the door, and they just went straight for Franklin Johnson."

Graham, who represents the area, said: "We've seen so many retaliatory actions, but I hope and pray it doesn't happen here. This is my great fear -- that people who are bitterly unhappy about this homicide are going to try to even the score."