A man was killed and five others – including two children – were injured in a barrage of gunfire on Wednesday in the nation’s capital. The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. in the Carver Langston neighborhood of Washington, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said. Investigators believe the suspects exited a vehicle and then began shooting into a crowd of people on the street. Multiple people were shot. One of the victims, an adult man, was killed.

Two men, a woman and a 9-year-old were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. A 12-year-old later arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound and is also believed to be a victim in the shooting, Smith said. The shooting comes as the District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp increase in violent crime, which went up 39 per cent in 2023. The increase was largely fuelled by a 35 per cent rise in homicides and growth in carjackings, which nearly doubled. Smith has pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would strengthen penalties for gun offenses in the nation’s capital.

TOPICS: Carver Langston neighborhood death gun violence injuries Mass shooting rise in violent crimes USA Washington D.C.