Four people were shot after a funeral ended for a homicide victim in Washington, DC. Chief Contee III said that one man died at the scene while the other three were rushed to the hospital. The suspects are yet to be identified, said the Metropolitan Police Chief.
Four people were targeted in a shootout outside a funeral home for a homicide victim in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, where one man died and three others sustained critical injuries, said police in a press release.
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Four people were shot after a funeral procession
According to Metropolitan Police Chief Robert J. Contee III, the shooting happened at around 12:27 p.m., just after a funeral service ended for a victim of a homicide who was killed last month. The chief said that the victim’s family had asked for police assistance during the funeral procession.
Contee said a police officer was stationed near the victim’s home in northeast Washington when he heard gunshots in the area.
The gunfire killed at least four people, said Contee. One man died instantly, and three more people—two men and a woman—were taken to the hospital but had no risk of life-threatening injuries, said a spokesperson for DC Fire and EMS.
Police reports said that several people who were present during the funeral were targeted. But they were unsure about why they were targeted and why these people who were present at the funeral were targeted. Contee asked the public for more information and added that he did not understand the fatal incident and was asking the general public for any help that could aid their investigation.
The shooter has not been identified thus far, and more details are awaited for further investigation.
Investigation continues as shooter remains unidentified
Contee expressed his agitation in a public address, saying that he was deeply saddened by the tragic incident and questioned the morality of someone shooting other people at an event like a funeral.
It is still unclear whether or not the shooters were in the car when the incident took place.
The Metropolitan Police Chief said that there was no exchange of gunfire and that the shooting seemed to have taken place when the four victims were near the sidewalk. As a result, they were struck by gunfire that came from a suspect or suspects.
Faced with a series of questions from the residents of the block, Contee reassured the people of finding the suspects. At the same time, he added that due to the limited availability of proper information, the investigation was on hold. On the other hand, the authorities have kept matters confidential and have not disclosed the name of the homicide victim.
Americans concerned over alarming rise of Public shootouts
This shooting in Washington, DC, is the latest in a series of public shootouts in America. Prior to this incident, on Monday, a bank worker shot dead five of his colleagues and injured nine others, including two police officers, in Louisville, Kentucky. Police reports said that the shooter was live streaming the entire incident on social media. The shooter, identified as Connor Sturgeon, who joined the Old National Bank in downtown as a full-time employee last year, was immediately shot dead by the officers.
Further reports confirmed that Sturgeon was carrying an AIR-15 rifle, while more reports pointed out that the 25-year-old bank employee was suffering from depression. He had messaged one of his friends before the shooting and said that he was feeling suicidal and wanted to kill many people, according to a police report.
