4 Shot in NE D.C., Police Led on Chase

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Four people standing along North Capitol Street NE in the District of Columbia Tuesday afternoon were shot and wounded in a hail of gunfire. Police say one of the wounded is a 17-year-old girl.

It happened at North Capitol and R Streets NE around 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, police say. Officers in the area heard gunshots, and when they arrived at the scene they found four people—a 17-year-old girl and three men—suffering from gunshot wounds. They also say they saw a minivan fleeing the scene, and went after it.

Officers chased the minivan into Prince George's County, and there was a minor crash at Riggs Road and East-West Highway.  After the crash, three people were taken into custody, and detectives are investigating whether those people were involved in the shootings in D.C. but they have not been charged.

No one was seriously hurt in the crash.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier told FOX 5's Bob Barnard that one of the shooting victims—a man-- has serious injuries, and the other three suffered non-life threatening injuries. They have not been identified because they are witnesses in the case, police say.

Chief Lanier also said while there's no confirmation of what led to the shooting, she believes it's possible that it was gang-related. She says a brown Dodge minivan was the vehicle that led police on the chase to Prince George's County, and it has been confirmed stolen.

Anyone who may have seen the van in the area near Florida and North Capitol Street prior to the shootings is asked to call police.

Investigators were forced to shut down a few blocks around the scene in Northeast D.C. while the investigation was underway Tuesday, and that caused some delays for drivers.

For more details, to see the shooting and crash scenes, hear from Chief Lanier and a man who heard the gunfire and watched the victims fall to the ground - click on the video tab and watch my story which ran on the FOX 5 News at 10 Tuesday night.   You can also catch our interview with Chief Lanier from 5 p.m. by clicking on the video below.