Police are investigating a string of violent crimes after multiple weekend shootings left one dead Saturday night in northeast Washington, D.C.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department responded to reports of a shooting on Eastern Avenue near the border of the District and Maryland. Officers found the body of a man, who was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound, reports WUSA9.
Authorities are still investigating and no further information is known. The fatal shooting brings the homicide count in D.C. to 77.
While less than the 87 homicides recorded in the District at the same time last year, the rate is still disturbingly high. There were a total of 105 homicides in 2014. The District experienced a staggering 54 percent spike in the murder rate in 2015, the highest rate in eight years. The surge in homicides continues in 2016, tracking closely with last year’s alarming statistics. (RELATED: Family Of Murdered DNC Staffer Desperate For Answers On Killer)
Authorities are also investigating two additional shootings from Saturday. Police responded to a shooting at roughly 3:20 p.m. on Illinois Avenue in northwest D.C. near 16th Street Heights. The victim was conscious and breathing, but authorities have not provided an update on the victim’s status. Police are searching for a black male wearing a white shirt and black pants, reports WJLA.
Police responded to reports of a shooting at 7 a.m. Saturday on Mellon Street in southeast D.C. near Congress Heights. Officers found a victim suffering non-fatal injuries, but have not updated their status. Police are searching for a turquoise Nissan Altima believed to be related to the shooting.
Seven people were shot and two died last weekend in six different shootings across D.C. The District suffered two additional homicides this week as the violence in the city continued. Forty of the homicides from this year still remain unsolved. For any homicide occurring in the District, police offer a reward of $25,000 for information leading to the arrest or prosecution of the perpetrator.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.