One man was killed and five others, including two children, were injured in a shooting in the capital on Wednesday.
The shooting occurred in Washington’s Carver-Langston neighborhood just after 6 p.m., according to Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith.
The tragic scene occurred about 13 miles from the White House, where President Biden was hosting a state dinner to commemorate the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Investigators believe the suspects got out of their cars and began firing into the crowd on the street. Multiple people were shot.
One of the victims, an adult male, died.
Two men, a woman and a 9-year-old boy were taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
A 12-year-old boy later arrived at the hospital with gunshot wounds and is also believed to be the victim of the shooting, Smith said.
The shootings come as the District of Columbia is struggling with a spike in violent crime, which increased by 39% in 2023.
This increase was primarily driven by a 35% increase in homicides and an increase in carjackings (which nearly doubled).
Smith urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would stiffen penalties for gun crimes in the nation’s capital.
