Two people were killed and three others were shot Wednesday in Southeast D.C., prompting a massive police presence and a harsh rebuke of gun violence from District officials.
D.C. Police and D.C. Fire and EMS were called shortly before 1:30 p.m. to the 1300 block of Congress Street SE in the Congress Heights neighborhood for the report of a shooting.
Upon arrival, Police Chief Robert Contee said officers found four people who had been shot. They were taken to hospitals, where one woman and one man died.
A fifth person walked into a hospital and was being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, Contee said.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
It is unknown what caused the shooting, but there appeared to be a dispute between two groups of people, the chief said.
"As of a result of that, we have two of our citizens in the District of Columbia who are now dead, due to senseless gun violence," Contee said in a press conference. He extended his condolences to the victims' families, calling the crimes "senseless murders... that did not need to happen."
Police were investigating a unit in a residential building near where the shooting occurred.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
No information about a suspect or suspects is available yet.
Mayor Muriel Bowser also provided a statement to the media, saying police were working to gather information quickly so they could "get guns and people willing to use guns off the streets just as soon as possible."
"Unfortunately I've been at this location before... [for] another tragedy that happened here some years ago," Bowser said. "It is a building block because there's high levels of gun violence, and we want to get to people before they start using guns."
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call 202-727-9099 or text an anonymous tip to 50411. A reward of $25,000 is being offered for information on the crime, Contee said.
