Three people were killed, including a teenager, in separate shootings in the District on Wednesday, police said.
A police spokesman said the teenager was found on the front steps of an apartment building. At an afternoon news conference, Police Chief Peter Newsham said the victim had been shot multiple times and that it appears he was targeted. He said police did not know a motive for the killing.
Hours later, police were called to another deadly shooting, this time in Northeast Washington.
Police said two men were found fatally shot inside a rowhouse in the 1600 block of Rosedale Street NE just before 10 p.m.
The victims were not identified but were described as being in their mid- to late 20s, Newsham said.
The chief said a motive for the shooting was not known, and it was not clear if the victims lived there.
Police said they were searching for a male seen fleeing the scene. He was described as black with a medium complexion and long dreadlocks. He was 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and wore dark clothing.
About two dozen people gathered on the street nearby, many of them crying loudly and hugged each other as they arrived and heard news of the shooting.
“You can hear the families that are here in the neighborhood,” Newsham said. “They are absolutely devastated by this.”
Newsham said that police, prosecutors and judges need to do a better job of arresting, convicting and sentencing those who are responsible for such violent acts.
“To be quite honest, I’m sick and tired of the shootings that are happening in our city, and I think collectively we have to do something about it,” the chief said.
