WASHINGTON — Three days into the new year, the District reported its first homicide of 2021 on Sunday after a shooting incident in one of the city's Southeast, D.C. neighborhoods.
A 22-year-old woman is dead after she was shot early Sunday morning in the 3800 block of Wheeler Road around 2:33 a.m., police said.
Officers with the Seventh District were called to Wheeler Road for the sound of gunshots. At the scene, officers found 22-year-old Kaailyah Rainey suffering from a gunshot wound at the 900 block of Wahler Place, a couple of blocks away from the initial shooting scene.
D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services arrived at the shooting scene and took Rainey to an area hospital for treatment. Police said after life-saving efforts Rainey was pronounced dead.
At this time, there is no lookout for a possible suspect or suspects.
Police are investigating the incident as a homicide. The events leading up to the shooting are unknown at this time.
D.C. Police reported 198 homicides in 2020, according to recent data on the department's website. The data reflects a 19% increase from the 166 homicides previously reported in 2019.
This story is developing. WUSA9 will provide more information as it becomes available.
In a separate incident on Saturday, an officer shot and wounded a man with a gun on the 3300 block of Georgia Ave, Northwest, D.C. Police Department's new Police Chief Robert Contee confirmed just hours before he was to be sworn into his new role.
Contee said a concerned citizen went up to officers who were on patrol in the area and reported a man with a gun. Shortly afterward, one of the officers came into contact with the armed man, identified as 48-year-old Antonie Smith, and fired his weapon, striking Smith, who was taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Contee said.
Contee did not offer additional details about what exactly led up to the shooting Saturday morning. He only said that the investigation is in its preliminary stages and is ongoing.
During a press conference, Contee said that investigators will be reviewing camera footage from businesses around the scene, and the officer's body-worn camera, which was on at the time of the shooting. He said they would be releasing the body-worn camera footage at some point.
Police released a photo of the gun the man was carrying at the time. Contee described it as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.
Smith was arrested and charged with Assault on a Police Officer While Armed, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Carrying a Pistol Without a License, and Possession of a High Capacity Magazine, D.C. Police said.
