WASHINGTON — D.C.'s shadow representative in the U.S. House says his home in Southeast was struck by gunfire Wednesday night. Oye Owolewa says one of the bullet hit right above one of the beds where his friend was staying.
"It hits differently when it's in your house, you know? You see things on tv, you hear things on the news but it's different when it's in the bedroom you used to sleep in," Owolewa said to WUSA9.
The representative tweeted about the shooting: “My house got shot up last night. Everyone’s ok, but it hits different when it’s your home. We deserve better in DC!”
The shooting happened after 10 p.m. on the 1400 block of Tobias Drive Southeast. Residents said they heard at least five shots fired but no shell casings were recovered.
Owolewa says he got a call from his friend who is staying at his residence and was outside at the moment of the gunfire.
"She was in the car when she heard the guns ring out. Then she went home inside when police told her it was safe, and when she got into the house, she realized if it would have been a half hour later it could have hit her, because it hit right above where her bed is."
The neighbor next door told a similar story. He said another one of the bullets came through his ceiling and nearly hit his head as he was watching television on the third floor.
Both residents whose homes were damaged say the bullets are still inside their walls.
"This could have been any of us and it shouldn't be any of us, and that's why we have to take it seriously," Owolewa said. "Whether we live in Ward 1 or Ward 8 the biggest thing we have to take of this is we need to bring back community policing, we can't just wait until the police comes or assume its someone else's duty."
Owolewa says he does not think he was the target of the shooting.
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