A teenage boy and a man are being treated for serious injuries following a shooting at a D.C. Metro station Thursday night.
Metro Transit Police said officers were called to the scene shortly before 11 p.m. Police said a group of people were fighting when someone attempted to pull out a gun.
A struggle over the firearm ensued before the it fell to the ground, police said. A teenager then picked up the handgun and shot a man in the group.
A special police officer confronted the teenage suspect and exchanged gunfire with him, striking him, police said. The officer chased the suspect out of the station and was able to apprehend him.
Officers later recovered the firearm, which was left by the fare gates.
The suspect was charged with assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license on Friday, according to a tweet. Metro Transit Police also said the teenage suspect and man are expected to recover from their gunshot injuries.
NEW: Suspect in shooting at Fort Totten Station last night, charged with Assault w/ Intent to Kill and Carrying a Pistol Without a License. Teen male suspect & adult male victim remain hospitalized with gunshot injuries but are expected to recover. #wmata
— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD) July 21, 2023
D.C. police will lead the investigation of the shooting.
The Fort Totten station remained closed until about 7 a.m. Friday morning while police investigated.
This shooting is the latest incident representing an uptick in crime throughout the District. Police data shows that violent crime overall is up 36% across the city.
Pamela Smith, who was sworn in as the District’s acting police chief earlier this week, told WTOP on Friday that her focus is on addressing “large numbers of juveniles” who she said appear to be the driving force behind current crime trends.
“It bothers me, and it certainly upsets me,” Smith said. “My job as the chief of police is to make sure that we drive down crime, and I won’t be satisfied until we do that.”
In February, D.C. police and Metro announced a partnership to increase law enforcement visibility across the transit system. The plan came about just weeks after a gunman at the Potomac Avenue station killed a Metro mechanic who tried to protect passengers.
The partnership put uniformed police officers on patrol with Metro police during the morning and afternoon rush hours at the five stations that Metro general manager Randy Clarke said had “the most crime” — Metro Center, Gallery Place, Georgia Avenue-Petworth, Congress Heights and Union Station.
