WASHINGTON — Two shootings on Friday and early Saturday morning- within blocks of each other- have neighbors in the Brightwood Park neighborhood on edge.
Police say the first gunshots were heard at the intersection of 7th and Kennedy streets northwest- around 11 p.m. on Friday.
Police say they found cartridge casings from multiple calibers of bullets. Police say one adult male victim transported himself to a hospital.
Neighbor Tyler Bowen said he saw the exchange from his home.
“We saw some of the gunshots, we saw some of the flashes from our window- and yeah it was pretty close to our apartment.”
Police said a second shooting happened in the 5300 block of 4th street Northwest just after 1 a.m. Saturday. Police say multiple shots were fired, but no one was hurt.
A nearby house was struck by two stray bullets. A third bullet struck an electrical box and took out the power.
ANC commissioner Jonathan Nobil and Peter Tabor said police have posted cars and cameras in hot spots in the neighborhood. Nobil believes it’s a handful of criminals behind the violence, and there needs to be more coordination with the courts to get them off the street.
“You’ve got folks who are working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. You’ve got judges who go through a federal approval process — then you’ve got MPD out here on the street,” said Nobil.
Tabor and Nobil said since the pandemic- and especially in recent weeks- there’s been a sharp increase in shootings to almost a daily basis, happening at various times of the day.
Nobil said some people have talked about moving and others are afraid to go outside.
“Well they are- and I think that’s a tough thing to tell people in a pandemic when one of the few avenues for relief,” said Nobil.
4D ANC Chair Renee Bowser (no relation to DC Mayor Muriel Bowser) said the neighborhood needs more resources.
“We put so much of our budget on police- and it’s just not doing the job.” Said Bowser.
Bowser said the city designated 8-10 violence interrupters to work in the neighborhood, but they currently have 2. She believes there needs to be more resources available to fight child and senior poverty, as well as find jobs that pay more than minimum wage.
“I really believe that we’re not doing what we’re saying in DC- in particular in dealing with the root causes.” Said Bowser.