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Shots fired at Southwest DC rec center while children were inside

No injuries have been reported.

WASHINGTON — An investigation is underway after shots were fired at a recreational center in Southwest, D.C. Tuesday night with 17 children inside including a 12-and-under football team. 

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to the King-Greenleaf Recreational Center, off of First Street Southwest and just a few blocks away from the Nationals stadium, around 6:40 p.m. after receiving a call about gunshots being heard in the area. 

At the scene, responding officers found a window in the front that was shot into and shattered. A report was taken for destruction of property and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

"There is some conflict going on among a small group of people, small individuals, and we really got to take that aggressively," said Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen following a meeting with representatives from several D.C. agencies including the Metropolitan Police Department and D.C. Parks and Recreation.

The meeting was held Wednesday afternoon inside the recreation center that remained closed for the day.  

Allen says that it appears that two groups were having some kind of altercation and they exchanged gunfire as they rolled through the intersection of First and N Streets Southwest where the King Green Leaf Recreational Center is located. 


The public park area is surrounded by surveillance cameras and just a block away there is a DC police mobile surveillance camera. 

"It's going to be response where you are going to see visibility from both MPD, from DC Housing Authority, from DPR from others but what we are really looking at is what is the source of this conflict?" said Allen who called the shooting unacceptable.

DC police officers were canvassing the area Wednesday night but investigators have yet to provide an update on the suspects connected to the shooting. 

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