Washington, D.C., experienced one of its most violent weekends in recent history, with 12 people shot across the city in under nine hours. The violence began on Friday evening with a teenage girl being shot on Yuma Street, followed by a series of shootings that spread across various neighborhoods. In a particularly alarming incident, a 5-year-old boy was grazed by a bullet on Savannah Terrace in the southeast district, sparking widespread concern among residents and authorities. This was not an isolated event; the violence escalated as three men, one woman, and a teenage boy were shot just steps from Howard University’s campus during a homecoming event. Despite the tragic nature of the incidents, none of the victims were students at the university, though one individual reportedly enrolled at Morgan State University was among the casualties.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the shootings, with two suspects arrested and three guns recovered in connection with the attack near Howard University. However, police indicated that more individuals may be involved in the series of events, underscoring the difficulty in tracing the full scope of the violence. The weekend saw a steady stream of shootings, including two men shot on Benning Road in the city’s northeast area and another man critically injured on Hiatt Place in the northwest. The carnage has intensified as the city grapples with persistent issues of gun violence and crime, a situation that has drawn ongoing attention from both local and national leaders.
President Donald Trump has been actively deploying the National Guard across the city in an effort to address the surge in violent crime. His administration’s strategy has been met with mixed reactions, particularly from Democratic lawmakers, who have criticized the approach and accused Trump of spreading false information regarding the scale of the problem in the nation’s capital. The weekend’s violence has underscored the growing tension between local authorities and national leadership, as the situation in D.C. remains a focal point for discussions on crime and public safety. In response to the recent attacks, the Metropolitan Police Department has increased its efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the shootings, but the lack of a clear suspect has left investigators with significant challenges in resolving the case.