The hunt is on for an armed menace who aimed at a woman in Northeast, Washington D.C., police say. The Metropolitan Police Department has released a call for help to citizens in tapping down a suspect involved in an assault with a dangerous weapon—a gun, in the quiet of the pre-dawn hours.
In a chilling encounter reported to have occurred in the 4300 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, the victim, whose identity remains under wraps for safety and privacy, was confronted by an armed individual. It was around 12:57 a.m., Tuesday, when the suspect brandished a handgun, threatening the peace and sanctity of the victim's vehicular refuge, according to the police statement. The perpetrator, whose motives remain as obscured as the shadows in which he retreated, fired off his weapon as the victim made her escape. By some stroke of fortune, neither person nor property bore the brunt of the bullet's wrath.
The Metropolitan Police, now engaged in a citywide game of hide and seek with stakes higher than any child's play, have yet to furnish the public with a description of the gunman. The streets, often bustling with the nation's business, are now tinged with the invisible ink of fear, and the community's vigilance has been called upon to scrub it clean.
Detectives are bisecting the night, searching for traces that can lead back to the assailant. They urge anyone with information to step forward, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and the sanctity of the civic process, it's hoped, will coax from the concrete and steel of the city the secrets it holds. Anyone with information can call (202) 727-9099 or send their tips via text to 50411. The police have promised that discretion is their watchword.
