A man was killed, and four other men were shot at an apartment building in Southwest D.C. on Tuesday afternoon, police said. A sixth man was hurt when, according to witnesses, he jumped out of a window to dodge bullets.
Police have arrested three people for first degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting, according to a Wednesday update. Additional details were not immediately released.
The shots were fired at around 4:15 p.m. inside the Valo Apartments in the 200 block of M Street SW, according to the D.C. police. The location is near the Waterfront Metro station and across the street from the First District Station. A witness said the gunfire started in a fifth-floor unit.
“At the time it sounded just like nail guns you know, like hitting the ground, then a little bit later another round. And at that time we looked at each other and were like, ‘That’s very odd,’” resident Kyle Hardell said. “Then about 20 seconds later when they hit the street over here, we heard about eight gunshots.”
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Hardell described seeing two people running next to the apartment.
“Maybe a minute or two later, some, two teenagers in all black, hoods on and masks were running down the alleyway.” Hardell said. "One kid was holding his hand kind of like this, and his other friend had a white bag with him."
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A total of six people were injured. Five were shot and another was injured in a fall.
Officers found two men shot at the scene. One of them did not survive and the other was taken to a hospital. Three other men arrived at a hospital on their own, suffering from gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening.
A sixth man was hurt when he jumped out of a window to dodge bullets, according to witnesses. Authorities said his injuries were consistent with a fall but did not elaborate on his condition.
The incident left trails of blood through a hallway and into an elevator. Several apartment residents told News4 they were sleeping elsewhere Tuesday night because they were shaken by the shooting.
Valo's management sent an email to residents that read in part:
“This email is to inform you that we have an isolated incident in the building. All is currently under control and properly secured. We have to temporarily shut down the elevators and ask that you use the steps in the interim. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to management directly.”
The motive for the shooting was not immediately known.
"This investigation is very early. What we do know is that it appears all the parties involved or all the parties that I've mentioned thus far, know each other in some way, shape or form. It occurred inside a residence," D.C. Police Assistant Chief of the Investigative Services Carlos Heraud said. "As of right now, there is no lookout for any suspects involved."
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.
