Categories: U.S.

Man acted as ‘human shield’ for girlfriend during D.C. carjacking, shot 5 times

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A suspect is handcuffed and arrested after a police officer was killed in a shooting at a North Carolina Food Lion store just days before Christmas. (Credit: WRAL)

A man is recovering in the hospital after bravely acting as a human shield for his 21-year-old girlfriend during a near-fatal carjacking in Washington, D.C.

The couple was sitting in their car in Northwest D.C. just after 8 p.m. Monday, when they said someone came up to them wearing a mask, and demanded they give them the vehicle, affiliate FOX 5 reported.

As the couple tried to drive away, the suspect started shooting, striking each of them five times, according to the report.

A photo of a law enforcement vehicle for the DC Police Department. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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The woman’s family told FOX 5 her boyfriend “shielded her with his body and bore the brunt of the bullets,” suffering a punctured lung.

While the pair were able to escape the armed suspect, they later crashed a quarter-mile down the road.

A good Samaritan called the family to let them know what had happened.

Washington, D.C. continues to face rising rates of violent crime. (Anadolu Agency)

The D.C. man and woman were each shot five times, according to family members. (iStock)

“At first, I was like this can’t be happening,” a family member told FOX 5. “I asked if she could please get close to her, so I could hear her voice to know that she was OK. Everybody needs to feel safe when they walk out their door, they shouldn’t have to worry if somebody’s going to take their property from them or their life.”

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The woman underwent surgery and will likely need additional procedures, according to the report.

D.C. police told Fox News Digital no arrests have been made, as of Wednesday night, and the patients’ status remains unchanged.

“There is no useable lookout information at this time and the case remains under investigation,” officials said.

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FOX 5’s Homa Bash contributed to this article.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.