At least four people were injured in a shooting in the US capital Washington on Friday, police said. The shooter, a 23-year-old man, committed suicide when he was about to be arrested.
The four individuals affected, including a 12-year-old girl, are no longer in danger.
According to Washington Police Chief Robert Contee, who spoke at a press conference yesterday, “the suspect we believe to be responsible for this is now deceased.”
He said the individual killed himself when the police had just entered his apartment, located on the fifth floor of a building. Investigators were able to discover an impressive arsenal there, consisting of “a sniper-type device with a tripod”, at least six firearms as well as “many, many ammunition”.
Two other shootings in the same day
The shooter’s motive still remains unknown, with the police chief simply announcing that “his intent was to kill and injure members of our community.”
The shooting took place in a neighborhood in the northwest of the city, where many schools and embassies are located, and known to be fairly quiet.
Many videos have been shared on social networks, showing the inhabitants being evacuated at full speed from the area where several detonations sounded. One, filmed from the perspective of the shooter, and showing people trying to take cover, is being cleared by police.
It should be noted that on the same day, the Washington police reported two shootings in other districts of the capital. In total, there were 226 homicides in the capital in 2021, a figure up 14% compared to 2020.
