What is usually a quiet, family-centered stretch of Petworth was rocked Thursday evening when gunfire broke out in two separate shootings less than half an hour apart. Two teenage boys and a 19-year-old man were hit and taken to area hospitals. Police and residents say all three are expected to survive, but the neighborhood’s nerves are badly frayed, especially with a similar shooting reported in the same alley less than two weeks earlier.
Two Crime Scenes, Minutes Apart
Police were first called around 5:52 p.m. to the 1300 block of Emerson Street NW, where officers found two teen boys suffering from gunshot wounds near 1325 Emerson St. NW, according to WJLA. A little more than 30 minutes later, officers were dispatched again, this time to the unit block of Gallatin Street NW, where a 19-year-old man was located with gunshot injuries.
The Metropolitan Police Department told WJLA that all three victims were conscious and breathing when they were taken to the hospital. Investigators said they were searching for a man wearing gray pants and carrying a black backpack who was seen leaving the area on an orange-and-black scooter. Police have not yet said whether they believe the two shootings are connected.
Gunfire Near John Lewis Elementary Rattles Neighbors
The bursts of gunfire sent residents sprinting for cover in the alleyways behind their homes, not far from the John Lewis Elementary School playground. One neighbor described the chaos to WJLA: “As we’re about to get in the car to get to baseball practice, I hear ten shots, bang bang bang.” Another resident said, “Only thing you could do is just run and jump on the floor and hide out until it all was over.”
Longtime neighbors told reporters that the block is typically quiet and family-oriented, the sort of place where kids head to practice and residents linger on the sidewalk. That normal routine, they said, has been jolted by the recent string of shootings.
Violence Taps Into Larger Spring Crime Fears
The back-to-back gunfire comes as Washington wrestles with a broader wave of serious violence. In April, The Washington Post reported that the District had recorded seven homicides in five days, a grim stretch that heightened anxiety among residents and officials. Community advocates have warned that shootings near schools and playgrounds, even if isolated, can quickly erode a neighborhood’s sense of safety and fuel demands for more visible policing and prevention programs.
Police Probe Ongoing As Residents Stay On Alert
The Metropolitan Police Department says the investigation remains active. Detectives are following up on leads while officers canvass the surrounding blocks, looking for witnesses and any home or business surveillance footage that might clarify what happened…