A stray bullet struck and killed a woman in Northeast D.C. on Wednesday afternoon.
D.C. police Chief Robert Contee said officers were in the 600 block of Division Avenue across from Marvin Gaye Park just after 3 p.m., when they heard gunshots followed by screaming coming from a car. When they approached the car, they found a woman who had been shot.
“It appears that the individuals who were in the car, these were not the intended targets of the shooting. Someone was shooting at someone else, and as this car … passed through this location, a stray round apparently went through the vehicle and hit one of the occupants, striking her and killing her,” Contee said during a news conference.
A stray bullet has claimed the life of a woman this afternoon in the 600 block of Division Ave NE. This is unacceptable!
Send info/tips to: 202-727-9099/text 50411
Briefing by Robert J. Contee III, MPD Chief of Police pic.twitter.com/RNej0yBFCM
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) February 9, 2022
The woman was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Contee did not provide details on her identity.
When officers approached the car, Contee said they saw and chased a person who appeared to have a firearm, but they were not able to catch the person. As a precaution, nearby Woodson High School was put on lockdown.
“A precious life gone in an instant because someone decided to use a gun in our community,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted. “We are heartbroken and infuriated. We must come together to bring the person or people responsible for this murder to justice. And we must get guns out of our community. Enough is enough.”
Several other shootings happened in the city Wednesday afternoon, but Contee said there is no indication the shootings are related. He said it appears this incident involved one person shooting at another person, although the investigation is ongoing.
Contee said there is a reward of up to $25,000 for information in the case.
