Double Shooting in Columbia Heights

D.C. Police say two people were shot Thursday afternoon outside a Metro station in Columbia Heights. Police say the lone gunman opened fire just outside the Metro station right in front the popular restaurant Five Guys.

Investigators say it happened at 14th Street and Irving Street NW around 3:15 p.m., right outside the Columbia Heights Metro station. That's near a number of shops and restaurants, including the D.C. USA shopping complex, which houses Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, and several other stores.

Investigators say two black males were involved in an altercation on Metro just after 3 p.m. As the two exited the west end of the Metro station, police say one of the men pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot the other man in the lower leg. As a result of the gunfire, an innocent bystander was also grazed by a bullet on the leg.

Both victims were taken to area hospitals in stable condition. So far, police say they don't have a suspect in custody.

"Well for me it's very scary because I catch this Metro every night and going to Greenbelt and it's scary," said Eva Banks, who works in the area.

D.C. Councilman Jim Graham tells FOX 5 the shooter and his intended victim were members of rival gangs that had been fighting on the Metro as they were coming back from a summer jobs orientation meeting at the D.C. Convention Center.

"We cannot casually assemble 2,500 young people from across the city without taking into account these particular gang crew dimensions," Graham said.

Moments after the shooting and just down the street, police arrested two teenagers on unrelated theft charges. They found a bb gun in their possession-- more signs that despite a major retail and residential redevelopment in the heart of Columbia Heights, trouble remains.

"Just frustrating because it just doesn't ever seem to end," said Danielle Breuker, who lives in the area. "I mean, so what-- this is an up and coming neighborhood. Still going to be people killed."

Police say traffic was backed up in the area due to police activity, and several blocks of 14th Street were closed for a few hours while the investigation was underway. The road has since been reopened.

Metro also shut down the entrance to the Columbia Heights station at 14th Street NW and Irving Street NW for a time.
 

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