Police in Washington, D.C., are investigating a drive-by shooting in Dupont Circle that left two men wounded early Friday morning just as bars and popular nightlife spots in the area closed.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of a barrage of gunfire and several speeding cars at 2 a.m. EST on the 1700 block of Connecticut Avenue northwest, a popular nightlife spot with numerous clubs, restaurants and bars. The shooter allegedly fired on a group of three men walking on the sidewalk, striking one in the foot and another in the leg before speeding off, reports The Washington Post.
A resident on a Dupont Circle listserv reported seeing vehicles travelling in the wrong direction as the shots were heard. Details on the shooting from the police are scant as the investigation continues.
The two men were found by authorities conscious with non-life threatening injuries. Police arrested one of the wounded men after finding him in an alley near the crime scene attempting to hide a .45 caliber handgun under a trashcan. Authorities are looking for the shooter, who escaped the scene in a white Chevrolet Malibu. (RELATED: Another Shooting In Northwest DC Leaves Man Dead)
Violence spiked across D.C. this week, with a number of shootings and stabbings. A man died after being shot multiple times on Georgia Avenue in northwest D.C. Monday evening.
D.C. is suffering a violent year, with 84 homicides across the city. The District experienced a staggering 53 percent spike in the murder rate in 2015, the highest rate in eight years. The alarming surge in homicides continues in 2016, tracking closely with last year’s figures. There were a total of 105 homicides in 2014.
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