'Wars across the city:' Instagram pages track DC crime that creators say is underreported

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — While they have nothing to do with the police, they are extremely interested in crime to the point where they have developed social media accounts that follow what is going on in the city.

And they have tens of thousands of followers.

They are individuals who create pages on Instagram, tracking crime in the city that they believe is underreported.

One of the pages on Instagram is called “Murder Mayhem.” The creator of the page was at the scene of last weekend’s mass shooting in DC where 22 people were shot, including one fatally.

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He said he was just there to attend the party, but when it descended into violence, he started reporting.

The man insists on staying anonymous and would only have phone contact with ABC7. His Instagram has more than 70,000 followers.

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Since the Murder Mayhem page was started, others have popped up including “KILLMOENEWS” and “The Crime Lab.”

They come equipped with their own scanners so they can know when and where violence breaks out.

“It’s wars going on across the city, police or regular people might not know, but the people who live in these streets. They know what’s going on,” the man said.

Police said Sunday’s incident involved rival groups shooting it out, with most of the victims being women.

D.C. has seen a spike in murders this year. So far, 2020 has seen at least 115 homicides, while there were just 98 by this time last year.