A man was shot in the head at the intersection of 5th Street and Somerset Place NW on Monday afternoon. The shooting, which happened in front of Coolidge High School, led to a lockdown at that school and two others close by.
In addition to Coolidge, Ida B. Wells Middle School and Whittier Elementary School were also locked down as D.C. police investigated. The lockdowns have since been lifted. By 4:05 p.m., students at the schools could be seen leaving the buildings to go home.
The man who was shot is an employee with D.C.'s Safe Passage Safe Blocks initiative, 4th District commander Carlos Heraud said during a 5 p.m. news conference.
He was off-duty at the time of the shooting, police said.
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The Safe Passage program was created by the District in 2017 "based on concerns around student safety," to help ensure students are safe as they travel to and from school. The program expanded in 2022 to cover more areas of the city.
Coolidge High School is listed as one of schools within the program's priority areas.
The man was "conscious and breathing" just after 3:20 p.m. when D.C. police arrived at the scene. He is in critical condition at a hospital.
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Video showed an "altercation" right before the shooting, according to Heraud.
Police believe the shooter fled the scene in a vehicle, but did not share a description of the person or the vehicle during the news conference.
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.
