Nine people, including two minors, were injured in a shooting incident in Washington, DC, early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. on Meade Street in the northeast quadrant of the capital.
Authorities responded to a report of a shooting and upon arrival, they found multiple injuries, including a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old. According to the police, a dark SUV drove through the neighborhood, stopped, and shots were fired at the victims who were enjoying the 4th of July holiday outdoors. Deputy Director Leslie Parsons of the Metropolitan Police Department stated that the incident was a targeted shooting.
Emergency services transported several victims to city hospitals, while others made their own way. Fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening, confirmed Parsons. The identities of the injured individuals have not been revealed yet. It is currently unclear whether there was more than one shooter involved in the incident, and no arrests have been made so far.
This shooting incident in DC is the latest in a string of mass shootings that occurred over the violent holiday weekend. In Baltimore, twenty-eight people were shot and two lost their lives at a party early Sunday. Many of the victims were underage, according to authorities.
Additionally, a man wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia on Monday night, killing five people and injuring two children aged 2 and 13, before surrendering to authorities. In another incident, three individuals were killed and eight others were wounded when several men fired into a crowd indiscriminately in a Texas neighborhood following a local festival on Monday night.
These incidents highlight the alarming increase in gun violence across the country during the holiday period. Authorities are investigating the motive behind these shootings and working tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to justice.
As investigations continue, it is crucial for communities and law enforcement to collaborate and implement proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens during such events.