Residents in Southeast D.C. demanded safety during a walk against crime on Thursday just hours after three more people were shot in their neighborhood. News4’s Shomari Stone reports.
Three men and one woman were shot in broad daylight in two separate shootings in Southeast Washington Thursday, continuing a streak of violence in the nation's capital.
In the first shooting, three men were standing in the parking lot of a strip mall on the 3200 block of 22nd Street SE just after noon when a tan-colored sedan pulled up and someone inside opened fire. Witnesses said one of the men was in a wheelchair.
Two men suffered non-life-threatening injuries while the third man's injuries are more serious, Police Chief Peter Newsham said.
Police officers were across the street when the men were shot, Newsham said.
Police released a photo of the vehicle of interest shortly before 2 p.m.
Demonstrators protesting the recent violence gathered across the street from the scene of the shooting.
About 3 p.m., a woman was shot on the 2300 block of Hartford Street SE, police said. She was conscious and breathing.
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Police said for people to lookout for an older red Toyota Corolla with yellow on the front bumper.
The last few days in the District have been marred by violence. Over the Memorial Day weekend, 13 people were shot, four fatally, in 11 separate incidents.
Newsham and Mayor Muriel Bowser said the police department has increased staffing by 25 percent in areas experiencing increased crime. Other city resources were sent to neighborhoods, recreation centers and pools in Wards 5, 7 and 8.
"Over the weekend, we deployed additional police and non-law enforcement resources to communities in Wards 7 and 8 experiencing an increase in violence," Bowser said in a statement. "While an enhanced police presence can help keep residents safe, we know that policing alone will not put a permanent stop to the violence in our communities. We ask residents to partner with us by reporting any criminal activity and send a clear message: Violence will not be tolerated."
The Memorial Day weekend deaths bring the total number of homicides in the District this year to 62.
