An 18-year-old is in custody after video captured a man shooting a gun in D.C.’s Hill East neighborhood overnight Monday, D.C. police say.
A barrage of bullets at 17th Street and Independence Ave SE woke up residents and sent people ducking for cover in their homes at about 2 a.m. The neighborhood is located near RFK Stadium and the DC Armory.
The video shows a brief glimpse of a car turning an alley corner. Then a man wearing white socks but only one shoe bursts out of a home’s side gate, runs to the corner and starts shooting.
Muzzle flashes are visible as he fires down Independence Avenue SE at the car.
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Another camera captured the sound of over a dozen shots.
It wasn't immediately clear if anyone was injured in the shooting.
D.C.’s real time crime center was able to quickly access images that led to an arrest, officials said. Police also recovered a gun.
Independence Avenue was a police scene for hours as the shooting was investigated, and a warrant was served on the home the suspect fled.
Neighbors describe an uptick in shootings in the area
“I’ve lived here in this house over here since 2003. Just over 20 years. The first 15 years, not one shooting. Not one. In the last five years, I’m counting at least 10 shootings,” Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Chander Jayaraman said.
Jayaraman is referring to incidents like the morning’s shooting and another on April 3 at 15th Street and Independence Ave SE.
“Another friend of mine, another neighbor, they moved back here, 'cause they love D.C. And he ducked while bullets were flying over his head,” Jayaraman said.
Residents, including former ANC Commissioner Denise Krepp, said they have noticed an additional D.C. police presence in recent weeks.
“The police were around the corner. These guys don’t care. They don’t care there’s a police officer a block away,” Krepp said.
