x
Breaking News
More () »

Police: 38 illegal guns seized, 6 teenagers arrested in DC in one week

A deadly weekend in D.C. with 7 shootings led to multiple arrests, including a 15-year-old boy from Northwest.

WASHINGTON — In a span of 72 hours, 13 people were shot in the District, including 16-year-old Jaime Zelaya and his best friend, 17-year-old Wilfredo Torres. The teens were murdered when a gunman went into Zelaya’s home and opened fire, according to police.

D.C. police chief Peter Newsham said he believes the suspect used a rifle.

RELATED: Two teens identified as latest homicide victims after violent weekend in DC

A violent video also circulated on social media earlier this month, showing a man being gunned down by a suspect using what appeared to be an assault-style weapon in Southeast, D.C. 

RELATED: Murder caught on camera in SE DC, police searching for suspects

Mayor Muriel Bowser continues to say D.C. has an illegal gun problem, leading to dozens of shootings and murders because the firearms are easily accessible. It's a point Bowser is also taking to the campaign trail with Mike Bloomberg.

WASHINGTON - Monday afternoon, D.C.'s mayor and police chief gathered the media to discuss the city's particularly violent weekend. Less than two hours later, three men were shot in Shaw. More than a dozen shell casings littered the 900 block of Rhode Island Avenue in Northwest.

During Bloomberg’s "End Gun Violence Tour" in Arlington earlier this month, Bowser said, "We can't stop illegal crime guns from coming across our borders in states that won't regulate them."

Bowser wrote a letter to Virginia lawmakers before their General Assembly session convened, demanding they pass tougher gun laws. She cited statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

ATF's data shows that more than 40% of illegal firearms recovered in the District are traced back to Virginia.  

RELATED: DC police are investigating more murders in historically low-crime areas so far in 2020

WASHINGTON - At a forum hosted by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Monday night, city stakeholders and leaders applauded the mayor's accomplishments heading into her new term. However, one stubborn issue the mayor's administration hasn't been able to solve is the city's murder rate.

Between Feb. 17 and 24, officers in DC Police's Gun Recovery Unit recovered 38 illegal firearms from people who shouldn't have them, including six teenagers.

The youngest person arrested was a 15-year-old boy from Northwest, according to police. 

Most of the firearms seized are handguns, but officers are also taking rifles and so-called "ghost guns," which police said are a growing problem. 

"It's a weapon that can't be traced, so we can't trace the weapon back to its original source," Newsham said.

RELATED: DC Police: Three shootings in an hour leave 2 people dead on Saturday

Credit: METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT
A .40 caliber “Ghost Gun” handgun was recovered in the 800 block of 7th Street, Northeast

Police found more than a 1,000 firearms in D.C. in 2019, 1,928 in 2018 and 2,191 in 2017, according to MPD data. 

Officers in the GRU aren’t just finding these firearms on criminals, but in vacant buildings, bushes and even abandoned cars.

A $2,500 dollar reward is still being offered to anyone who can provide information to police that leads to the recovery of an illegal firearm hidden in the city.

RELATED: Prince George's Hospital Center saves hundreds of DC patients' lives a year. In 2021, it's moving away

Download the brand new WUSA9 app here

Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter: Your forecast. Your commute. Your news.

Before You Leave, Check This Out