SMH! TEEN STABBED AT THE ZOO ON AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY DAY!

DC Police have a 16-year-old in custody, charged with "assault with intent to kill," after a stabbing Monday at the National Zoo.

Another teen is in serious condition after he was stabbed in the arm, elbow, and side at the National Zoo on Connecticut Ave., Northwest, this Easter Monday.

Parents at the zoo tell 9NEWS NOW that they are concerned and disgusted by what they saw happened at the zoo. They also say some children witnessed the altercation, and one woman says she saw very little security at the zoo.

A woman who was at the zoo with her son reported seeing about 20 to 30 boys picking on another boy, and then throwing a water container at him. Next, she says, the group jumped the boy.

Police say there were approximately 15 people in the group. They say the stabbing happened around 3:20 p.m. The same victim left the zoo and apparently ran into the group again, possibly getting stabbed at this second location a block away.

The zoo spokesperson said that the zoo was closed because they reached capacity with more than 25,000 visitors. A spokesperson denies they evacuated the zoo but our cameras captured dozens of families leaving the zoo shortly after the fight, DC police were on the streets and Zoo police were inside the gate at the time.

Some teens told us they have been reading about the fight for nearly a week on twitter.

Easter Monday is traditionally the African American family day. The festival was started more than 100 years ago when blacks were not allowed to participate in the White House Easter Egg Roll.

In 2000, a gunman shot into the crowd on Easter Monday and injuring 6 children. An 11-year-old boy suffered brain damage after he was shot in the head.

Zoo officials could not offer any detail when we asked them about their security detail on this day.

Police are looking for the group and asking if anyone knows something about the fight, to call them.

Zoo officials have released a statement:

This afternoon there was an altercation at the Smithsonians National Zoo sometime during mid to late afternoon. While we can confirm that one individual was stabbed and left the Zoo, we cannot confirm anything about the individual who was wounded because he left Zoo property. We do have a person in Zoo police custody and that individual will be turned over to the Metropolitan Police, who are on site and working closely with us.

The Zoo is at capacity today with more than 25,000 visitors. As standard procedure, with such large crowds we close the gates to any additional visitors. The Zoo buildings close at 6 pm; the grounds close at 8 pm.





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