A suspect in a shooting that resulted in two fatalities and five injuries early Sunday in a historic neighborhood of Washington, D.C., remained at large and unidentified, according to authorities.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. at the intersection of 7th Street NW and P Street NW, approximately seven blocks east of Logan Circle and four blocks north of Mt. Vernon Square, police stated. The shooting happened near the Kennedy Recreation Center.
BREAKING: Two people were killed and five others were wounded in an early morning shooting in D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood.
https://t.co/XKtleApvPx— WUSA9 (@wusa9) March 17, 2024
Law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., were on the hunt Sunday for an individual who allegedly fled on foot following the deadly shooting.
"We're asking anyone who may have any information related to this incident or may have witnessed it, to contact the Metropolitan Police Department," said Executive Assistant Chief Jeffrey Carrol during a news conference Sunday morning.
Authorities described the suspect as a Black man with an "average build, wearing light pants, blue shirt." The Metropolitan Police Department urged individuals to refrain from taking any action and to promptly call 911 if they encounter the suspect.
Carrol disclosed that upon arriving at the scene, officers discovered six adults who had sustained gunshot wounds. Tragically, two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
A seventh victim arrived at a hospital independently, according to police on Sunday afternoon.
The identities of the victims are being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.
The motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, with preliminary findings indicating that one or more suspects deliberately discharged a firearm at the victims.
"The initial information that we have at this time is that a total of seven people were shot at this location, two of which have since been pronounced deceased," Carrol stated.
Names of the deceased are being withheld by authorities until their relatives are notified. Carrol noted that the other shooting victims were hospitalized, but details regarding their conditions were not disclosed.
Sunday's incident occurred against the backdrop of a 35% surge in homicides in Washington, D.C., compared to the same period in 2023, as reported by police department crime statistics. In 2023, there were 274 homicides in the city, representing a 35% increase from 2022, according to the statistics.
The violent crime adds to the growing safety concerns in the capital as citizens grow uneasy over the increased shootings in the area.
