WASHINGTON — D.C. has been deadly this weekend, with five people killed in shootings that happened on Friday and Saturday. It is part of five death in less than 24-hours and nine since October 3, according to D.C. Police.
The latest three shooting deaths came Saturday around 2 p.m. at two separate locations in Northeast D.C. One was in the 1700 block of Irving Street and the other was in the 4500 block of Quarles Street.
Police said Saturday evening there are no suspects for either shooting and the circumstances surrounding the shootings are unknown.
“You feel like it may be okay to let the kids go out for a few hours to play out in the front yard, or the backyard at two or three o'clock in the afternoon, what could wrong? Well on 17th St. people get shot,” Meka Robinson said.
Robinson said her mother lives near Irving St. and heard the gunshots around two in the afternoon.
“She said I just heard about eight to ten gunshots. I said are you all okay, are you all okay, she’s like yeah I'm in the kitchen under the sink,” Robinson recounted. “And my son is here with her, she told my son to go somewhere and get on the floor.”
Robinson said it’s really sad that these shootings are becoming the norm, adding her mother lives in a nice, quiet neighborhood.
“Whenever you see the yellow tape you just know that something horrible has happened,” Robinson said. “You don't really have to know what or who, when you see the yellow tape, you know something horrible has happened.”
The shooting deaths follow two homicides that happened late Friday, both in Southeast D.C. The first shooting was in the 1600 block of W Street and the other was in the 2400 block of Elvans Street.
There have been more than 151 homicides in the District in 2020, according to D.C. Police data.
As of last Thursday (Oct. 8), data shows that homicides in D.C. have gone up 18% from last year's 128 homicides around this time.
Data also shows that although there is an increase in homicides, the overall crime in the District still remains 18% lower than in 2019.
To learn more about the number of homicides in Washington this year and for previous years, click here.