Five people were shot in Washington DC’s Logan Circle neighbourhood on Thursday, in an incident that prompted a major police response about a mile north of the White House, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Police were responding to multiple locations in the area, including the 1500 block of 15th Street NW, where authorities cordoned off businesses, a church and residential buildings.
Police spokesperson Nicole Deaner said the shooter had not been apprehended and the exact locations of the shootings remained unclear. The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) urged the public to avoid the area as officers responded to the shooting.
A witness, Ryan Dubicki, who was inside his nearby apartment around 8 am, said he heard approximately five loud bangs. Because they were spread out, but later looked outside to find police officers across the area, he initially mistook the sounds for construction work. The shooting was reported near the intersection of 15th and P streets NW. The Washington Post reported that police were searching for a suspect and that MPD spokesperson Officr Lee Lepe described the incident as an active shooter situation. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also sent agents to assist local authorities, AP reported.
Police had not immediately disclosed the identities or conditions of the five victims, the precise locations where they were shot or what led to the violence, according to AP. Dubicki said his apartment building’s management subsequently sent residents a notice warning of a possible active shooter. Lepe said police did not yet have a description of the suspect.
Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines The police response involved several emergency teams, with nearby streets closed and residents and visitors asked to stay away. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.