DC erupts in violence
The headline on this morning's on-line edition of the Washington Post: Like a war zone.
No, it's not another dozen shot at a Baltimore cookout. This time, it really is crime someplace else. Four dead, five wounded in front of an apartment building in Southeast DC on South Capitol Street (the crime scene picture at left was taken by The Washington Post and transmitted by AP).
From the Post story:
"The burst of gunfire, apparently a drive-by shooting, led to a police chase in which four D.C. officers were slightly injured. Officials later said three persons were arrested and a weapon was recovered, but no other details were immediately available. Initially, three people were reported killed in the shooting. D.C. police said early Wednesday that a fourth victim had died. Police were still looking for a motive in the shooting, in which at least nine people were hit."
That certainly reminds Baltimore residents of the day last July when 18 people were shot, and two killed, in shootings across the city, including a dozen at a backyard cookout for a family mourning the anniversary of another killing.
Here is video from WJLA-TV in Washington:
Comments
This is a local gang related issue. Don't believe for one moment that it is anything other than that. Sure, a loss of live is terrible but It seems to be this is a drug gang war none the less. This type of thing is not usually a random event! Let's hope the retaliation takes place until th waring factions are just too tired to continue the killings.
"Police were still looking for a motive in the shooting, in which at least nine people were hit."
If the authorities can't figure this out then god help us all.
Posted by: mac | April 2, 2010 1:27 AM
To be killed in D.C or Baltimore or be caught in a cross-fire is just like spitting on a sidewalk. Police and prosecutors are rated and promoted base on the numbers of people they can put in jails. I would want to believe that the real focus should be addressing the root causes of social problems that leads to crimes. Pooverty, hopelessness and theats of going to jail are the major social problems that force people to commit crimes. I do think that reacting after a crime has been committed does nothing if any in solving future crimes. The real focus should be to address the root causes of crimes.
Posted by: rasong | April 3, 2010 11:41 PM