A deadly stretch of overnight gunfire in Southeast Washington, D.C., left one man dead and two other people hospitalized after two separate shootings, police said. The violence unfolded late Saturday and into the early hours of Sunday in different parts of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Seventh District.
Fatal shooting on Valley Avenue
The first shooting was reported around 9:47 p.m. Saturday in the 1200 block of Valley Avenue SE, where officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds who was later pronounced dead at the scene, according to WJLA. Police have not publicly released the victim's name or any suspect description, and the case is being handled by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Separate early-morning shooting on 15th Street
About four hours later, officers were dispatched to a separate shooting in the 3400 block of 15th Street SE. An AlertDC notification captured the call and included a lookout tied to the scene. When officers arrived, they found a man and a woman with gunshot wounds, and both were taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening, according to AlertDC.
Police say suspect known to victims
Investigators told WJLA that another woman was assaulted by the suspect before the 15th Street shooting and that the suspect is believed to be known to the victims. As of now, no arrests have been reported, and police said there is no evidence at this time connecting the Valley Avenue and 15th Street shootings.
Neighborhood pattern
Both the 1200 block of Valley Avenue and the 3400 block of 15th Street have seen earlier gunfire in recent months and years, according to case-tracking and reporting by DC Witness and previous Southeast D.C. fatal shooting coverage. Those outlets report that several recent homicides and nonfatal shootings around Southeast remain under investigation by MPD detectives.
How to help
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099 or to text anonymous tips to 50411, per the Metropolitan Police Department. Officials urge residents not to intervene directly and instead to share any information through official channels.
