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)

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

D.C. police have not pubically identified a suspect as of Wednesday night, FOX 5 reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to the department for comment.

FOX 5’s Homa Bash contributed to this article.