DC man charged with 69 counts in shooting that injured 5 at bus stop

A Washington, D.C., man was arrested and indicted on 69 charges after authorities said he sexually assaulted a minor on a bus and then opened fire on public transit passengers, injuring five people. 

Anthony Del Cid-Morales, 18, was charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and aggravated assault while armed, among other counts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced on May 22.  

The charges stem from a Jan. 22 incident that started on a city bus, officials said. According to prosecutors, Del Cid-Morales allegedly sexually assaulted a girl on the bus at about 5:40 p.m. ET that day, leading to a "physical altercation" between them.

The girl and her group of friends exited the bus from the rear near the stop at 16th Street NW and Missouri Avenue NW in the northwest part of the city, while Del Cid-Morales exited from the front, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement. As he got off the bus, Del Cid-Morales allegedly pulled out a handgun, racked the slide and fired it five times into a crowd of 15 people who were at or near the bus stop, then fled on foot.

Five people were struck by gunfire, and all survived with minor injuries, prosecutors said. The victims included three people who were with the sexual assault victim, one person waiting to go home on the bus and a person out for an evening walk. The injured victims included one woman, two girls and two boys, the Metropolitan Police Department said. They were conscious and breathing when police responded, and were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Public Defender Services of D.C. for comment.

Del Cid-Morales was denied a request for release and no bond was set during a hearing on May 22, court records show. He's due back in court for a detention hearing in July.