District of Columbia

LOCAL CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

Suspect in shooting that injured 4 found dead, officials say

The shooting near Connecticut Avenue plunged schools into lockdown and sent terrified residents running for safety.

By Peter Hermann, Fredrick Kunkle, Clarence Williams and Emily Davies
Yesterday at 4:08 p.m. EDT | Updated today at 12:14 a.m. EDT

A man who police believe indiscriminately shot at people from an apartment Friday, wounding three adults and a child and spreading fear in the Van Ness area of Northwest Washington, apparently took his own life as tactical officers breached his door. ... D.C. police Chief Robert J. Contee III said officers found six firearms, including long guns, hand guns and ammunition, along with a tripod used to mount rifles in the apartment where the man was found dead. ... The man shot himself, according to two individuals familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

The chief described a “sniper-like setup” in the a fifth-floor apartment that overlooked the shooting scene outside the Edmund Burke School. After finding the man dead, Contee said at a news conference that authorities are still investigating a motive, but “Our communities are now safe.”

The shooting launched the community into chaos, as students in lockdown were separated from their parents for hours, law enforcement in camouflage and armored vehicles rolled down the streets and police escorted terrified residents — many who were asked to march with their hands up — out of nearby buildings. ... The incident shut down one of the busiest avenues in the city, and instead of being filled with people enjoying a spring Friday night, police cars, yellow tape and ambulances stretched across the scene for blocks and blocks.

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Separately, the Edmund Burke School Wikipedia page was revised online Friday to include, “A gunman shot at the school on April 22, 2022. The suspect is still at large,” by a user named Raymond Spencer at 4:33 p.m., according to the Wikipedia page history. It was revised by the user at 4:04 p.m. to include the sentence, “Hope they catch him soon!” according to the Wikipedia page history.

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Jasmine Hilton, Justin Wm. Moyer, Alice Crites, Razzan Nakhlawi, Justin Jouvenal, Perry Stein, Sarah Cahlan, Martin Weil, Tom Jackman and Ellie Silverman contributed to this report.

By Peter Hermann, Fredrick Kunkle, Clarence Williams and Emily Davies