Shots Also Fired at 14th and S St, NW just after Midnight

by Prince Of Petworth — August 7, 2016 at 8:29 am 19 Comments

14th and S Street, NW

A reader reported just after midnight:

“Shots outside of the garden district.”

another says:

“heard 7 to 8 shots around 12:15 am”

From MPD:

“shortly after midnight, units were called to the 1300 block of S Street for the calls for sounds of gunshots. At this time, no one appears to have been injured but several adult males were observed running out of the block right after the sounds came out. Anyone with information relation to this or any other crime are encouraged to call 202 727-9099 or email me directly at [email protected]”

John

I heard these last night when I was walking near Swann and T. Wasn’t sure if they were gunshots or fireworks.

There was also a helicopter circling overhead for a long time starting around 45 minutes later, I’m assuming they’re related.
urbanengineer

So there were shots fired yesterday on the 2800 block, the 2300 block and the 1800 block of 14th street. WTF.
DC

We were outside at Garden District last night when this happened, and everyone immediately hit the floor. Saw the guy fire a series of shots into the alleyway across the street and take off running.
Kate

Why does the city not take action and at least put an early curfew in place? Many of the problems are with teens with nothing to do for the summer. I live right there off of U Street and the activity (not just shootings) is out of control until nearly 5am at least Thursday – Sunday. Things are out of control.
- FridayGirl
  
  Well, there is technically a curfew (although I remember the PoPulace debating it a few months back). Enforcement is another issue.
  http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/dcs-curfew-law-know-facts
- JohnH
  
  DC’s police is stretched thin.
  .
  That being said: saying “things are out of control” is a rather Trump-esque/I just got back from the RNC convention statement. I don’t know how many times it has to be said, but these areas are historically rooted in violent crime.
  .
  Building some expensive condos, opening small plate restaurants and renovating rowhouses do not exterminate crime.
  .
  While I certainly would like things to be better than they are, crime is not out of control. Especially when you considering the areas of 14th St, Shaw, Columbia Heights, Petworth have NEVER been safe neighborhoods.
  - FridayGirl
    
    I have to agree with you on this one, JohnH.
    (tl;dr – Do I wish violent crime didn’t happen? Yes. Did I expect it to stop just because I moved here? Nope.)
    - Anonymous
      
      Call me crazy, but if crime keeps happening in the same neighborhoods, the same streets, the same blocks by the same people… What’s so hard? That’s why we are frustrated. We seem to know more about what is happening than MPD.
      - FridayGirl
        
        This is not a problem unique to DC, though. It takes an incredible amount of manpower, major effort to improve community relations, and years and years of increased access to jobs, gang interventions, etc. to root out crime. Even if the MPD patrolled certain blocks more, the crime would just shift to a different area. We’ve seen this before.
        .
        There has to be a larger-scale effort on all fronts. But the MPD clearly doesn’t have the resources, DC clearly can’t keep repeat offenders locked up, and people in this city (and across the country, actually) don’t want to spend the money tax-dollars-wise on alternative programs to break the cycle.
      - c
        
        contact MPD and see what help you can offer them.
  - P. Lecheval
    
    So as a liberal I’m just supposed to chalk it up to “it’s always been this way” and figure that it’ll always be this way? Because to offer any solution that isn’t kind and gentle to the perpetrators would be way too Republican? Got it.
    - JohnH
      
      No – but saying things like “crime is out of control” is grossly exaggerating it too. Like I said, there’s things that can be done to help improve it. And the first thing I said was the DC police is stretched thin – they need more officers.
      .
      Things aren’t great and you shouldn’t live with the status quo and shrug your shoulders. But it’s also incredibly naive to think these areas will magically turn into happy, fun, kid friendly neighborhoods when they are rooted in decades of violent crime, drugs, etc.
dcred

Why hasn’t the city installed cameras in this area given the persistent gun violence? Surely the city can afford a few high resolution cameras.
- Rich
  
  Perhaps because they wouldn’t be very useful art night and a re mostly a waste of money. Why does every solution have to involve expensive technology and people taking zero responsibility for being aware of what’s going on in their community.
  - Kevin
    
    It’s 2016 have you have seen surveillance technology lately. I can purchase 4k cameras that make night look like day.
    
    They are a worthwhile investment just like police-worn body cameras because it is the silent witness to anything and everything.
    
    You made an apple to potatoes argument which made no sense.
  - CT
    
    How does being aware of what’s going on in your community solve people shooting at each other? If the police already know what’s going on in a specific area then realistically what can an average citizen do?
- stacksp
  
  Unfortunately, judging from the MPD Youtube page, camera’s do not stop people from shooting in broad daylight it seems. It’s amazing how brazen some of these shootings are. Mid day, traffic moving in both directions, in areas where it is known that there are camera’s present.
  
  Probably could help with the prosecution, but it does not seem to be much of a deterrent. Actually have to target the mindset that makes one do these heinous acts.
Jane

Is the MPD Twitter account the best source for breaking crime news? Sometimes it’s incomplete or only updated much too late, and it would be nice to hear about things as they happen versus just reviewing the crime map later.
- anoNE
  
  MPD’s communications come up short in a lot of areas: “Anyone with information RELATION (sic) to this or any other crime…”
  .
  It’s nitpicky, but constant errors in statements/alerts add up. The lackluster overall comm from the police dept. serving our nation’s capital somehow still disappoints me, even though I know I shouldn’t have high expectations.

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