Tipsheet

DC Priorities Lie with Mask and Vaccine Mandates as City Rocked by Car Jackings by Armed Teens

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  January 28, 2022 6:00 PM

Since January 15, Washington D.C. has been under the first phase of its vaccine mandate. For most indoor establishments, patrons have to show that they have received at least one dose of the vaccine against the Wuhan coronavirus, along with their photo ID to prove they are the vaccinated person. The second phase will go into effect on February 15, when patrons are required proof of full vaccination. Despite this, Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday still extended an indoor mask mandate until February 28. 

Further, Mayor Bowser is also requiring all students ages 16 and up to be fully vaccinated beginning March 1, including private and parochial school students as well.

As our friends at Twitchy, highlighted, though, the vaccine has been approved by the FDA for emergency use. Further, as Phil Kerpen highlighted, the D.C. council has defined the "COVID-19 vaccine" to be one that has been approved by the FDA as opposed to one that is available under emergency use.

Congressional efforts are in place to get rid of DC's vaccine and mask mandates, including from Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), who is sponsoring legislation to drop the vaccine passports in the nation's capital. 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on January 20 announced a joint resolution to do away with student vaccine mandates, citing authority under The Home Rule Act of 1973. 

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Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who has spoken to Townhall about such efforts, is even prepared to shut down the government over vaccine mandates. 

Such priorities for Mayor Bowser come as the city is experiencing a particularly alarming amount of carjackings from armed minors in their teens. Julio highlighted some examples earlier this week. 

As Emily Zantow reported for The Washington Times last week, carjackings in the district have tripled since 2019. Last year there were 426 recorded carjackings. A spokesperson with the Metropolitan Police Department told the outlet that they "have noticed that a large number of these crimes are committed by young teenagers."

Sam Ford reporting for ABC 7 News on Your Side profiled D.C. Council candidate Nate Fleming who had been a victim of an armed carjacking this month.

The outlet also reported that four teens, between the ages of 16 and 17 years old, were arrested on Saturday in connection with a carjacking that occurred last Thursday. 

Paige Hopkins reported for Axios that in the first 20 days of the year, there had been 37 carjackings so far. She also included data that 100 juveniles were arrested last year for carjacking, up from 59 juveniles the year before. 

On Monday, a 13 and a 14-year-old were arrested for an armed carjacking that also took place in the district. The two were from Maryland.

Armed carjackings by youth was a problem last year as well. Last summer, a 13 and a 15-year old were charged with felony murder and armed carjacking for the death of 66-year-old Mohammad Anwar.

D.C. youths are also referenced in reports, including from CNN, pointing to a "disturbing trend" of carjackings during the pandemic.