WASHINGTON — Two separate shootings in the District late Friday and early Saturday raised the city’s homicide toll to 111 for the year, police said.
In the first incident, a man was shot and killed Friday evening near the Rhode Island Avenue–Brentwood Metro stationin Northeast Washington. The shooting drew a large police presence and briefly disrupted traffic around the busy commuter hub.
Officers were called to the 600 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE around 7:20 p.m. for reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found a man unconscious and suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The killing occurred as commuters were leaving the station for the weekend. Officers closed a portion of Rhode Island Avenue for several hours while crime scene units conducted their investigation. Metro service remained open, though several bus routes were temporarily detoured.
The second fatal shooting occurred early Saturday near Clifton Street and University Place NW, close to Meridian Hill Park. Police said a man was found shot and later pronounced dead. Officers searched the area on the ground and with the FALCON helicopter, but no arrests were announced.
The two killings mark the 110th and 111th homicides this year in the District, according to police data. At this time last year, the city had recorded 139 homicides. They are also the first murders reported in the past ten days, police said.
Police also responded to another report of gunfire Friday in the 3500 block of 6th Street SE, though no suspect information or details about possible victims were released.
