THE WASHINGTON POST – A 16-year-old girl was charged with fatally stabbing another 16-year-old girl outside a McDonald’s on a busy D.C. nightlife corridor this weekend in a fight a police detective said stemmed from an argument about sweet-and-sour sauce, as the city continues its struggle to quell youth violence.

Naima Liggon, the slain teen from Waldorf, Md., was the 13th person younger than 18 killed so far this year in Washington, and her accused attacker represents one of hundreds of cases in which minors have been charged with committing a crime of violence.

Both of those numbers have increased since the same time last year, creating what the city’s mayor has deemed an emergency among the city’s children and teenagers. Homicides overall are up 26 percent in the District over this time in 2022.

“At the end of the day, someone is dead over a dispute over sauce,” D.C. Superior Court Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur said, as she ordered the suspect held until another hearing Friday.

City officials have said they are laser-focused on combating youth violence. Last month, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation that expanded pretrial detention for youths charged with virtually any dangerous or violent crime.

“It’s easy to wax lyrical about a perfect roast chicken, but what about a Chicken McNugget dipped in sweet-and-sour sauce?” – Eric Kim, The New York Times 

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In her own legislative proposal, which still could be considered in the fall, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) wanted to allow judges to detain youths for their own protection — signaling the lengths she is willing to go to stop the bloodshed.

All summer, D.C. government officials have touted programming designed to keep youths safe and engaged while school is out. The mayor told community members in June that the city had 13,000 slots for camp and 14,000 places for youth employment.

The U Street corridor is among the areas city officials say will see a curfew crackdown starting Sept. 1 to keep youths under 17 off the streets overnight.

A nightlife task force designed to reduce violence had been focusing on the neighborhood …

“Sweet ‘N Sour Goes well with: To be frank, probably only McNuggets… ” – Kat Thompson, thrillist.com

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