WASHINGTON — Armed gunmen, whom the FBI describes as brazen and at ease with their weapons, are targeting convenience stores in the region.
And the FBI is asking for the public’s help before the spree turns deadly.
“They seem to be well organized. They hit fast, rob the store, sometimes the patrons, and leave fast as well,” said David LeValley , special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office’s criminal division.
LeValley said there have been at least six robberies since Aug. 27 in Prince Georges County, Alexandria and D.C.
Each robbery took place at a 7-Eleven store:
- Aug. 27 at 2:03 a.m., 6800 Livingston Road in Oxon Hill, Maryland
- Aug. 27 at 2:50 a.m., 2405 Fairhaven Ave. in Alexandria, Virginia
- Aug. 27 at 4:13 a.m., 3101 Rhode Island Ave. NE in Washington, D.C.
- Aug. 31 at 1:05 a.m., 3100 Lockheed Blvd. in Alexandria, Virginia
- Aug. 31 at 2:07 a.m., 14001 Baltimore Ave. in Laurel, Maryland
- Sept. 3 at 8:40 a.m., 6138 North Kings Highway in Alexandria, Virginia
LeValley said the robbers, which are known to strike at night, are comfortable with firearms.
“They handle their weapons with some sense of ease and familiarity,” he said.
During two robberies on Aug. 31, one of the men used a long gun during the robberies. During these two robberies, four men entered the store. They were seen fleeing the scene of the robberies in an unknown sedan.
The FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the robbers.
LeValley said the suspects were described as “black males wearing dark colored clothing during the majority of the robberies. One of them was described as having long dreadlocks. Another was described as wearing black shoes with red coloring on the top.”
Anyone with information on these individuals’ identities or the robberies should contact the FBI’s Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000.
D.C. police released this surveillance of the Aug. 27 robbery on Rhode Island Avenue.
