Peter Hermann

Ty’ah Settles, 3, was riding in a car that got caught in the crossfire of a gun battle, police said. She was the city’s youngest homicide victim this year.

The incident occurred about 1:10 a.m. Police have not yet been able to identify the victim and no arrest has been made.

City officials worried about the optics of moving against a small number of peaceful protesters, people familiar with the talks said.

Lt. Col. Corey McKenzie of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police provided a few new details about the disaster and its impact on officers in the often-overlooked department.

D.C. police are not renewing contracts for a dozen contractual officers who had been hired with past disciplinary issues.

Before Wednesday night, the last homicide in D.C. occurred April 14.

Authorities said the injuries to both victims did not appear to be life-threatening.

The killing of D.C. police Sgt. Tony Mason Jr. had been a mystery, but new details emerged this week alleging he was fatally shot after parking in the middle of a drug gang turf.

Niomi Russell, who was standing outside with friends when a car rolled up and someone opened fire, the fourth juvenile to be fatally shot in D.C. this year.

With package and retail thefts on the rise in D.C., police and prosecutors are cracking down with new tactics and penalties, which critics say are excessive.