‘AK-47 Assault Rifle // Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947’
courtesy of ‘brian.ch’

Ten people were shot last night, four fatally, around 7:30pm in the 4000 block of South Capitol Street in an act of violence that has shaken the city. NBC4 reports that the weapon used in the shooting was “an AK-47 type” firearm, and that in the ensuing chase, four DC Police officers were injured in a crash on St. Barnabas Road in Oxon Hill as the chase went beyond the District line.  Three individuals were arrested in the Condon Terrace neighborhood in Southeast DC at the conclusion of the chase and have been taken into custody in DC.

The drive-by shooting represents the District’s single biggest act of violence since ten were shot at the O Street market in 1994 in a gang hit.  The motives for the shootings are unclear, as are any gang ties, but it is possible that the violence is related to the funeral of a man shot on Chesapeake St SE several days ago.

DC Fire/EMS said that over 50 personnel responded to last night’s shooting, including almost a dozen ambulances, in a typical mass casualty response.  Victims were transported to Washington Hospital Center for treatment.  One died at the scene, one en route to the hospital, and two have succumbed to gunshot wounds overnight.  Six more remain in the hospital, two with life-threatening injuries.  This is a story that will continue to unfold over the next few days, we’ll do our best to keep you updated.

Tom Bridge

I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.