WASHINGTON — Thousands of D.C. residents came out Tuesday night to promote positivity on the same day the city marked a grim milestone.
The Metropolitan Police Department announced Tuesday afternoon that D.C. had its recorded its 100th homicide in 2019 on Monday night.
An unidentified man was stabbed multiple times on the 5000 block of Bass Place Southeast around 9:46 pm. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries in a nearby hospital.
The killing marked the earliest D.C. has hit the 100 homicides mark in at least five years. Last year, the city ended August with 101 homicides. In 2017 D.C. didn't reach its 100th homicide until November.
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As some MPD officers worked to solve that case, other members of the department were busy getting to know locals during National Night Out.
National Night Out is an annual event that works to improve the relationship between police officers and the communities they serve. MPD celebrated National Night Out at several different locations across the city with music, games and food.
"It's a great time for conversation and just to get to know each other," said MPD Captain John Knutsen.
D.C. resident Steven Polk brought his 7-year-old daughter to the National Night Out event at the Benning Park Community Center in Southeast.
He said it was nice to have a place where kids could come outside and not have to worry about violence.
"We want them (kids) to come outside," he said. "We don't want them to be scared."
Clayton Rosenberg, a lifelong Ward 7 resident and member of the Alliance of Concerned Men, also attended the event. His ward has seen 30 homicides so far this year -- including the city's 100th.
Rosenberg said he enjoys having events like National Night Out around D.C.
"Anytime that we can build relationships and bridge the gap between community relations and police relations, it's always a positive," he said.
So far, D.C. has experienced seven more murders in 2019 than it did this same time last year.
Knutsen said an abundance of illegal guns on the streets is partially to blame for the city's homicide numbers.
MPD will offer a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a person responsible for a homicide in the District.
Anyone with information on the recent homicide on the 5000 block of Bass Place is asked to call 202-727-9099.