WASHINGTON — Police are investigating a shooting where an 18-year-old man was killed in Southeast D.C. Friday night.
At approximately 10:15 p.m., officers responded to the 4000 block of Wahler Court, SE for a reported shooting. While on their way to the location, officers were told a man with gunshot wounds had been taken to a local hospital by car. The man was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The man has been identified by the Metropolitan Police Department as Shane Williams.
No other information about the shooting, or any lookout details, have been released.
D.C. police have now reported 245 homicides in D.C. in 2023, according to a Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson. This is a 33% increase from this time last year. The city is approaching a 20-year high, with 248 homicides reported in 2003. In 2021, there were 226 homicides, and in 2022, there were 203.
Local D.C. leaders have been scrambling to address violent crime in the city. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled legislation in October — ACT Now Act of 2023 (or Addressing Crime Trends Now Act).
The public safety package includes new penalties for organized retail theft and allows the police chief to establish certain areas as "drug-free zones." It also rolls back several police reform measures passed in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd's murder. For example, if passed, police could review body-cam footage prior to writing an initial police report in certain circumstances.
Congress has also had a watchful eye over D.C.'s handling of crime. Earlier this year, Congress overturned the D.C. Council's rewrite of the criminal code.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s tip line by sending a text message to 50411.