HYATTSVILLE, Md. (DC News Now) — Hyattsville Police said that someone shot a boy on Friday as three people tried to take the teenager’s winter jacket.

The Hyattsville Police Department said in a post on the platform X shortly before 12:45 p.m. that officers were responding to the 3500 block of Carnaby St., which is near Northwestern High School.

Police said that the boy who was shot was 14-years-old.

In an update after 2 p.m., Hyattsville Police Department Chief, Jarod Towers, said that the teenager was with two other people when three people came up to them and tried to take the boy’s jacket — which police said was a “high end” Moose Knuckle jacket. Police said that all of the people involved were teenagers.

Somebody shot him in the course of the robbery attempt before all of the other teens ran away. A witness called police and stayed with him until officers arrived.

Towers said the boy had critical injuries and was being treated at the hospital.

The incident happened right near a woman’s home, she says she’s traumatized by what happened.

“I heard two gunshots and I saw three kids and black hoodies running and then I saw the victims stumble forward, outside my house, coughed up some blood,” she told DC News Now.

Police did not confirm whether the suspects or victims were students at the nearby school, but neighbors believe they were.

“This was during the lunch hour. They’re skipping classes and lunch to come and shoot each other on the streets. That’s not okay,” she said.

Many neighbors are on edge, and they’re hoping something can be done soon.

“If we can get the homeowners together and ask for more security … either from the police, we don’t know what the options are. So we’re trying to figure out how to make our community a little safer,” she said.

Sukhbir Singh, who lives on the block where the shooting took place, said his young son was outside playing when shots rang out.

“I saw when they were taking him away, and maybe their friends also came … one of his friends,” he said. “They were like, emotional [and] crying.”

Singh said the community needs to talk about how to get a handle on how to deal with the tragedy and “how we can do more just for safety.”

“Be eyes and open for other people,” he said. “We haven’t set anything as a group, as a community but I think this is the wake-up call.”

Police said that one of the suspects was wearing a black puffer jacket, a second was wearing a blue jacked and the third suspect was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt.

“It’s absurd. It’s just another example of ruthless crime,” the chief said at a news briefing. “We have we have a problem nationwide. This is not isolated to this community. This is a nationwide issue related to young adults involved in violent crime and unfortunately, this is a circumstance that’s here in our community and impacts folks who are here in broad daylight that had to witness this and the trauma to the victim, his family and this community, is absolutely ridiculous.”

Anyone with any information about the three people involved to call (301) 985-5060.