Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser shrugs off viral video in which teen boy discuss whether they'd rather commit murder or armed carjacking - as violence among youth surges

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser shrugged off a viral video capturing teen boys discussing whether they'd rather commit murder or armed carjacking.

Bowser told FOX5, 'I won't be wasting my time watching that. If it is an accurate video, I'm not sure what I would do with that information.'

The video, in which two juveniles debate what crime they would rather commit, went viral on social media over the weekend, with the user who posted it referring to the boys as 'D.C. teens.'

A boy can be heard saying, 'He'd rather commit murder than armed robbery. Armed robbery is what we're doing!' 

Bowser refused to watch the video despite the controversy and discussion it sparked on social media, with users expressing concerns over the boys' casual discussion about crime as violence among youth surges in Washington, D.C.

The boys' faces were obscured, but they can be seen wearing face masks standing on a street corner at night. 

'He'd rather commit murder than armed robbery…armed robbery is what we're doing,' one can be heard saying. 

'No it's not! It's armed robbery and an armed carjacking,' another person said. 

One can be hear rebutting: 'It's the same thing…that's lower than murder.' 

He continued: 'That's dumb. You'd rather take a human's life and get life than rob someone and get ten to 12 years!' 

The video has achieved more than 370,000 views on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram, after Sen. Josh Hawley's communication's director Abigail Jackson reposted it. 

'This is more serious than just the crimes being committed,' Jackson wrote on X, adding that the video shows 'serious psychological problems' among children. 

'A generation of kids in DC are casually talking about killing or robbing someone as if they're deciding what candy they want at the movies.' 

The video comes as rising crime in the nation's capital has agonized residents, city leaders, and put political leaders and their families at risk.  

Three suspects attempted to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle near the home of Naomi Biden, 29, the granddaughter of President Joe Biden. 

The incident prompted Secret Service agents, assigned to protect Naomi, to open fire at 11.58pm Sunday. No one was hit by the gunfire. 

Her agents saw the three people breaking a window of the parked and unoccupied SUV, the Secret Service said in a statement. 

The three people were seen fleeing in a red car, and the Secret Service said it put out a regional bulletin to Metropolitan Police to be on the lookout for it.

The break-in occurred a month after US Representative Henry Cuellar was carjacked  by three armed attackers when he was parking his white Honda CHR. 

The Texas Democrat was not harmed during the scary assault at his home - but his car with Texas plates was stolen. 

Cuellar's chief of staff Jacob Hochberg released a statement: 'As Congressman Cuellar was parking his car this evening, 3 armed assailants approached the Congressman and stole his vehicle. 

'Luckily, he was not harmed and is working with local law enforcement.'

The robbery occurred at 9:30pm at New Jersey Avenue and K Street SE in Washington's Navy Yard area, about a mile from the U.S. Capitol.

Washington has seen a significant rise in violent crime this year. Police have reported more than 950 burglary and more than 6,000 reports of stolen vehicles this year in the district. 

According to data collected by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, all types of violent and property crime have increased compared to the same period last year, except for theft from vehicle. 

The district has clocked 240 homicides to date this year, which eclipsed the number killed in all of 2022 and previous 19 years.  

DC saw its yearly murder count spike to more than 500 during the 1990s and the crack epidemic in the city. Since then, the figure has trended down, but is now increasing again.