A shooting erupted in a popular area of Washington, D.C., Thursday at around 8:20 p.m., while a number of patrons were eating at nearby restaurants.
Two people were reportedly shot, with one victim in the restaurant Mexicue. A witness said they saw a black sedan leaving the area quickly, driving on the sidewalk of 14th street.
Just now on 14th and R street in DC: 20-30 gunshots, sending people seated at many restaurants running
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) July 23, 2021
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) July 23, 2021
It was in front of Mexicue, 1720 14th. pic.twitter.com/v0BFAl04Sc
— WMATAstuff (@wmatastuff) July 23, 2021
People ran from the area as multiple rounds of gun shots were heard. (RELATED: 10-Minute String Of Shootings Leave 14-Year-Old Dead, 9 Others Injured)
Just hear what sounded like gun shots on 14th street in NW DC. People fleeing the popular Le Diplomate restaurant which seemed a few blocks away. pic.twitter.com/EuD40teccA
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 23, 2021
RIGHT NOW: investigation underway at S and 14th street.
People say they heard at least two dozen gun shots.
The abandoned tables and broken glass paint a harrowing picture of what happened. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/CepwKKMK2S— Kolbie Satterfield (@KolbieReports) July 23, 2021
Was pulling up to the intersection as this happened and watched one gunman shoot at someone multiple times, in the middle of very busy 14th Street. https://t.co/IdYqeYOM2G
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) July 23, 2021
One witness described the scene, saying that “it sounded like a war zone.”
This man witnessed what happened in DC shooting. pic.twitter.com/FoEXtD6cOE
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) July 23, 2021
Police issued an update with a description of a suspect and vehicle: “Lookout is for a B/M male wearing a lime green/yellow hooded sweater fleeing in a older black Honda Civic with DC Tags last seen eastbound towards S Street, NW.”
Shooting at the intersection of 14th / Riggs Street, NW. Lookout is for a B/M male wearing a lime green/yellow hooded sweater fleeing in a older black Honda Civic with DC Tags last seen eastbound towards S Street, NW.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 23, 2021
A video of the suspects and the vehicle was published by the Metropolitan Police Department.
The suspects and vehicle, described as an older black sedan, were captured by a nearby camera and can be seen in video here. pic.twitter.com/n8P2gR5ps9
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) July 23, 2021
There have been multiple shootings in Washington, D.C., this week. A 6-year-old girl was fatally shot by a drive-by shooter Friday and five others were wounded, the New York Times reported.
One day later, three people were shot outside of Nationals Park at the Washington Nationals vs. San Padres game.
The D.C. Police Union tweeted, “Welcome to Washington, D.C. Where violent crime permeates everything. It is a tragedy that elected officials won’t let us do our jobs,” in response to the Saturday shooting.
Welcome to Washington, D.C. Where violent crime permeates everything.
It is a tragedy that elected officials won’t let us do our jobs. https://t.co/IA5N5qHv5P
— DC Police Union (@DCPoliceUnion) July 18, 2021
Lawmakers in D.C. defunded the police by $15 million dollars in the aftermath of 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, according to the Washington Post. Police departments across the country told the Daily Caller News Foundation that budget cuts have limited their ability to hire more personnel.
The rate of assaults committed with a gun has risen in D.C. in 2021 compared to 2020, with 471 assaults compared to 438 by this time last year, according to data by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Crime rates have skyrocketed in the U.S., with an estimated 25% increase in murder rates in 2020, preliminary data from the FBI showed, as reported by The New York Times. There have been 380 mass shootings so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
This is a developing story.
