A teenager was killed and at least 20 others injured in a shooting at an apparent block party in Washington, DC, on Saturday night.
Police are looking for multiple gunmen who opened fire at a social gathering held at 33rd St. and Dubois Place SE on Saturday night, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham. 17-year-old Christopher Brown was identified by Newsham as the only fatality since Sunday morning.
Brown was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. An unidentified police officer is in critical condition and is fighting for her life, Newsham said.
The rest of those injured at the party sustained life-threatening wounds.
It turned out that a dispute broke out at the event and multiple weapons were “produced” as a result, police said. A motive is not yet known.
“We have at least three shooters because we have at least three separate locations … where gunshots were fired,” Newsham said. “And I understand that the shots went off at the same time.”
A preliminary investigation indicated handguns were used in the shooting sports.
Newsham confirmed that there were officers at the scene of the meeting who were not licensed. The police officer said such large gatherings were too dangerous to be during the coronavirus pandemic and in the midst of the spread of COVID-19.
The officer’s response was not great enough to break up the meeting, which Newsham said “hundreds” of people were in attendance.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser noted that several people who “had no regard for human life” attacked the meeting.
“It is very important that we as a community have zero tolerance for this activity, that we support the Metropolitan Police Department when they have to make very difficult decisions to break up these events,” Bowser said.
Bowser warned the community that some people could be imprisoned for breaking up parties or major events that violate the law in the neighborhood, which currently limits gatherings of more than 50 people.
