Shooting in Washington leaves 2 dead, 5 injured; police on hunt for accused

Two people have been killed and five others injured in a shooting in the nation's capital early Sunday.

Police were looking for a single gunman after the seven people were shot around 3 a.m. in the Shaw neighbourhood of Washington. The five people who were injured were all taken to local hospitals, said Jeffrey Carroll, the executive assistant chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. All of the victims are adults, he said.
 

Police did not immediately provide details of the circumstances surrounding the shooting or the conditions of those injured.

The District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp increase in violent crime, which went up 39% in 2023. The increase was largely fueled by a 35% rise in homicides and growth in carjackings, which nearly doubled. Police Chief Pamela Smith has pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would strengthen penalties for gun offenses in the nation's capital.