A shootout between passengers of two moving vehicles took place Monday afternoon along six blocks of D Street NE, between 15th Street and 21st Streets, police said. The street was closed for the investigation for about five hours.
“An on scene investigation revealed that two vehicles were involved and occupant(s) of at least one of the vehicles was firing a gun as the cars traveled West on D Street NE,” wrote MPD Lieutenant Scott Dowling in an email. “A vehicle that was occupied and traveling East was struck by gunfire. Fortunately the occupants were not injured.”
Neighbors said that at least two vehicles were hit with bullets. Passengers in one vehicle included small children who had to remain on the scene during the investigation, staying for at least three hours. Neighbors brought them pizza, popsicles and drinks.
It started a block down from my house around 4:35pm. I was home w/ my 9yo at the time and had to yell across the house for him to get away from the windows and under the table. Quickly tried to call @EliotHine to hold kids walking home from practice, but there’s never an answer. pic.twitter.com/873ZGjmiTY
— K. Avery (@kjaveryDC) October 7, 2019
Neighbors said that it was a time when many families are walking home from work and after-school programs and team practices. “It’s scary when this happens during the day when we’re all out and about with our kids,” wrote a neighbor on a community social medial page.
Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) lives in the neighborhood and tweeted about the incident on his way home. Allen, who chaired a public hearing on District gun violence and gun laws on Oct. 3, noted on Twitter that in the last year he has created a red flag law to help get illegal guns off the street, seen violence prevention funding tripled, and increased penalties on extended clips. But, he added, there was still more to do.
My 21 month old missed being in this by less than 5 min. They had to run to the back of the house for fear of being shot. DO SOMETHING
— Ashley Thomson (@kissmygritz) October 8, 2019
Police recovered both vehicles involved in the D Street shooting the same evening and were canvassing for video from home surveillance cameras that could be used in the investigation.
The D Street shooting comes after a spate of shootings in the Shaw neighborhood, also located in Ward 6. Three people were shot between Sept. 29 and Oct. 3 in the neighborhood, including a teenage girl who was adjusting her shoe outside a local grocery store when she was struck.
If you have information or video related to these incidents, please contact the First District Detectives office at (202) 299-2025, or the Metropolitan Police Department’s Command Information Center at (202) 727-9099. You can also text tips, photo or video to the Text Tip Line at 50411.
