I don’t normally write about crime, but it seems like there has been a rash of incidents recently.
Yesterday there were two shootings near 14th and Girard — one in the Columbia Heights Village on the 2900 block of 14th Street NW around 6 am, where the victim was killed, and another later in the afternoon on the basketball court at the 14th and Girard Park. A friend who lives nearby said he heard the shots and another texted me saying it seems like there have been shootings every night in the area. He also sent a picture of blood splattered all over the court, which I will not share because it’s gruesome.
The basketball court victims survived, according to the Post. It’s not clear if the two shootings were related.
Another man was shot on the 8th in the same Columbia Heights Village complex on Columbia Road and on the 13th thieves hit a man with a bat and stole his cell phone on the 2900 block of 13th, which is right around the corner from the earlier incidents.
In addition, there have been other incidents lately: a on May 31 a man was stabbed inside the Golden Paradise restaurant at 3903 14th Street NW, in the old Rib Pit space. Neighbors have been complaining for some time that the restaurant is acting more like a nightclub with loud music and rowdy patrons. ANC Commissioner Zach Teutsch said the city’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration is investigating.
Let’s hope MPD and other city agencies can address these incidents and prevent future ones.
