Jamiesfeast – Residents of the Hill East community in Washington, D.C. are becoming increasingly frustrated following two separate mid-day shootings that occurred within a week of each other.
Multiple gunshots were heard by neighbors on Saturday afternoon near the intersection of 16th and A Streets, SE. The shooting was captured on surveillance footage by resident Adam Trister, who recorded more than a dozen shots being fired.
On Friday, January 19, just a week ago, a young person was shot near the exact same intersection at around 1:30 p.m.
Barry Hayman, a resident at the intersection, shared his experiences of living in the area. He calmly stated, “I’m quite accustomed to it. I’ve had gunshots right outside my window and witnessed numerous domestic quarrels. I’ve heard all sorts of incidents happening around here.”
Hayman has been living in Hill East since the 1980s.
“He said that the current situation is far better than it was in the 80s when the focus was solely on fighting against crack. However, he expressed concerns about the safety of the neighborhood, especially because there are children living here.”
Ebony Payne, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 7D, expressed frustration over the constant occurrence of events that the people cannot escape from.
While canvassing in the neighborhood, Payne, a candidate for the Ward 7 council seat, stated that her campaign was present when the shooting occurred on Saturday.
According to Payne, it seems like no matter what street you’re on nowadays, there’s a certain level of risk involved.
According to her, the community members are eager to receive better communication from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) both during and after a violent crime incident.
“We are not receiving clear answers from the MPD regarding the closure of these cases, the attainment of justice, and the well-being of the victims. As a result, it greatly affects our everyday lives,” she expressed her concern.
Chris London, a recent resident in the neighborhood, expressed concern about two recent events that have occurred within the span of two weeks. As a parent, London is particularly worried about the impact these incidents might have on his children.
London highlighted the importance of everyone’s involvement in reducing crime.
“We need to work together in order to make progress,” he emphasized. “We should address the issue of how these young individuals are acquiring firearms. It is essential to implement stricter gun laws, not just for minors but also as a felony offense.”
MPD has apprehended an individual in relation to the shooting incident that occurred on January 19th.
Police said that two suspects came up to the victim, shot him, searched his bags, and then ran away. God Tchakounte, who is 19 years old, was caught and charged with assault with the aim of robbery while armed. The case is still open because police are still looking for and investigating the second suspect.