D.C. police are investigating four separate deadly shootings — the first of which marked the department’s 200th homicide investigation on Thursday.
The first shooting happened in the 2700 block of 7th Street Northeast before 7:45 p.m. on Thursday. A police union spokesperson was the first to say this shooting marked the 200th homicide in the District this year, which a D.C. police spokesperson later confirmed.
With the shooting in NE, DC has reached 200 homicides for 2022. There have been 476 carjackings YTD (⬆️14%), and 2,057 robberies (⬆️2%).
We are still short 100s of cops and the responsible policing that used to address this has been prohibited by misguided legislation.
— DC Police Union (@DCPoliceUnion) December 30, 2022
An unidentified man was killed in the shooting.
Officers believe the suspects were in a red SUV occupied by four individuals traveling westbound along Franklin Street in Northeast.
Then around 9:30 p.m., police said officers began investigating a second shooting in the Anacostia neighborhood along the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Southeast.
“One adult male has been pronounced dead,” a police spokesperson said, and another man was “conscious and breathing.”
Cmdr. John Branch said in a news conference later Thursday night that the “unintended victim” was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition.
Alert: Shooting Investigation in the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. Lookout for a gray Buick sedan.
DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911Have Info? Call 202-727-9099/Text 50411
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) December 30, 2022
Branch is asking anyone with information on what happened to contact police at 202-727-9099.
“Everyone has to play a role,” Branch said. “The constant shootings, it’s just too much.”
A third homicide that left one man dead occurred early Friday morning near the Embassy of Ecuador on the 2500 block of University Place Northwest, D.C. police told WTOP. Police are warning residents to be on the lookout for two armed and dangerous men wearing all black clothing.
A fourth homicide that left a 21-year-old Maryland man dead occurred Friday morning in the 2400 block of 15th Street Northwest. Metro police are offering a $25,000 reward to anyone that provides information about the person responsible in each case.
As of Friday morning, there have been 203 homicide investigations in D.C. this year.
D.C.’s homicide rate, with a few days remaining in the year, is down 10% compared with 2021 and more than 60% from the more than 500 murders in 1991. This year’s homicide rate marks the first time since 2002 where D.C. has suffered back-to-back years with over 200 homicides.
WTOP’s Juan Herrera and Ciara Wells contributed to this report.
