Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

At around 4 a.m. Sunday, police say someone smashed the windows of at least two cars and damaged a motorcycle inside the garage of The Berkshire Apartments on Massachusetts Avenue.

One woman tells News4 she had more than $4000 worth of personal items stolen from her car.

It wasn’t just the driver-side windshield that was shattered. Resident Gabriela Frederick says her sense of security was too. She and her husband were set to go to church this morning when they realized their car had been broken into.

“I was in tears,” Frederick said. “I’m not a crier, but I was in shock. I just felt so violated.”

Frederick says most of the stolen personal items were expensive gear and tools that her husband was planning on taking to an upcoming trip.

Frederick says her biggest frustration is that the garage door has been broken for the past two weeks and claims residents have been urging management to fix it.

When News4 was there Sunday afternoon, the garage door was open the whole time.

“We pay nearly $200 a month for the garage to have an extra layer of security – and it’s not,” Frederick said.

News4 reached out to Gables Residential – the property management company for The Berkshire – to ask about the break-ins, and have yet to hear back as of Sunday night.

News4 did obtain an email that was sent to residents Sunday afternoon that reads in-part, “We want to inform you about a recent incident involving vehicle break-ins within our community’s parking areas. We are currently working with local law enforcement to address the situation… We understand this situation is concerning, and we will continue to keep you updated as we receive more information.”

“What if I was coming to the car?” Frederick said. “There’s so many things that could have happened – it could have been so much worse.”

Frederick says she’s thankful no one was hurt, but now she’s unsure if she feels comfortable continuing to live there.

“It’s really unfortunate that this has become a norm,” she said. “This cannot be a norm. This is not okay.”

The victims in this case say they’re still figuring out how much it’ll cost to repair everything. At this point, police are still searching for whoever is responsible.

Images from D.C. Fire and EMS show the front tires of a white SUV hanging off the edge of the garage’s second floor. The first-floor storefront appears to have crashed onto the sidewalk.

Emergency crews responded to the 4500 block of 40th Street NW, near the Tenleytown Metro station. D.C. Fire and EMS said they found “significant cosmetic damage” but no structural stability problems.

No injuries were reported. No information was immediately released on why the SUV went over the edge.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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DC police are working to determine whether the system was taken down intentionally or through human error, multiple government sources tell News4.

So far in 2024, there have been at least seven unplanned outages of the computer system that D.C.’s Office of Unified Communications (OUC) uses to dispatch fire engines and ambulances. The tragedy that occurred during the outage in early August has brought the issue and OUC under new scrutiny.

Tragedy in NW

During the outage on Aug. 2, a 5-month-old baby in a Northwest D.C. apartment wouldn’t wake up from a nap.

Two family members said they tried calling 911 for help, but according to an internal D.C. police report, neither of them could get anyone to pick up.

Someone instead went to get help outside apartment building in the 3000 block of Connecticut Ave. NW and found a nearby federal police officer, who assisted with CPR in the moments before DC Fire and EMS arrived, that report said.

Eventually, the family got through to 911, and the call center dispatched the call, according to a timeline shared by the deputy mayor for public safety.

Firefighters arrived and started calling for an ambulance, and the infant was taken to the hospital. That was where the baby was pronounced dead.

What went wrong?

According to radio traffic, firefighters performed CPR on the infant but wanted paramedics and an advanced life support ambulance to rush the baby to a hospital. The dispatch center repeatedly tried to send a paramedic who was unavailable and still handling another call.

Frustration could be heard in the voices of the first responders.

“We have an infant in cardiac arrest,” one said. “I’ve made everyone aware of this multiple times here on this channel … Do we have an ALS unit or a paramedic that is possibly available?”

A few hours later, D.C. police detectives and forensic investigators arrived at the building after being informed that the infant had been pronounced dead at the hospital.

The OUC, which runs the system that went down on Aug. 2, said that 911 calls were still being answered at the time of the outage.

That deputy mayor’s timeline starts when the family was able to get through, and appeared to show a timely response, but does not include the initial missed calls.

Three days after the outage, D.C. officials said a technology contractor incorrectly rolled out a software update.

“The software update was not done in compliance with protocol and resulted in a disruption that limited agencies’ access to the system,” the D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer said in a statement.

The contractor is no longer employed by the D.C. government, the office said.

What happens during a 911 computer outage?

When the system goes down, dispatch teams rely on paper and pencil to keep track of hundreds of calls, public safety officials told News4.

Insiders in D.C.’s public safety departments say that means call takers and dispatchers sometimes walk slips of paper from one place to another inside the dispatch center. They use radio communications to make sure fire crews knew where to go.

D.C. often points out its 911 call center is the fourth-busiest in the nation. Last year, it took an average of one emergency call every three seconds.

On Aug. 2, the 911 computer system went down for more than two hours.

News4 I-Team Aug 12

DC 911 center understaffed 88% of all shifts in July as outages mount

Washington DC Aug 2

Baby dies during outage of DC 911 computer system

Washington DC Aug 11

DC officials confirm 6 unplanned 911 outages this year

Unanswered questions about 911 outages

On Monday, the spokesperson for D.C.’s deputy mayor for public safety confirmed D.C.’s 911 system has had seven outages this year.

One was planned for a system upgrade.

An outage in July occurred because of the global CrowdStrike outage, officials said. Then there was the outage on Aug. 2, during the infant’s death, which was also pinned on an upgrade glitch.

On Friday, Aug. 12, the 911 computer system went down again. That was the center’s second outage in as many weeks, and D.C.’s city administrator said that one was due to a “connectivity disruption” during which public safety agencies in the nation’s capital “transitioned to manual dispatch” — those pen-and-paper slips.

A spokesperson told the News4 I-Team connectivity disruptions “were related to the performance of hardware which hosts the Computer Assisted Dispatch software; and the District is working to implement the necessary monitoring and possible system upgrades.”

The statement on Monday did not say if that work is complete or if a fix had been made.

The reasons for the other four outages remain unclear. In a confusing answer Monday, the spokesperson suggested the four other outages are due to those connectivity disruptions — including the outage on Aug. 2, which lasted more than two hours.

D.C. Director of the Office of Unified Communications Heather McGaffin — the person in charge of the 911 system — has not responded to any questions related to the center in months. She has said in previous testimony that improving staffing will help improve performance.

Staffing issues

According to their own record keeping, in July 2023, 33% of all 911 shifts didn’t have enough people working to meet minimum staffing levels. In July 2024, that jumped to 88% of all shifts.

The staffing crisis has gotten so bad that the agency is offering bonuses to staff members simply for showing up for every scheduled shift.

McGaffin made the offer to staff members in an email Tuesday morning.

“Good morning 911 Team- Starting immediately all 911 employees who show up for all of their scheduled shifts will receive an $800 incentive for the month,” the email obtained by News4 says.

“Staffing is crucial to the success of our agency. Unscheduled call outs of all kinds are up and causing a hardship for fellow employees who are continuously getting stuck, coming in early, and being asked to come in on days off,” she continued. “The pilot is simple- show up for each shift you’re assigned and receive $800 additional for the month. We start today for August.”

Leak investigation, but no outage answers

D.C. police Internal Affairs contacted News4’s Ted Oberg on Thursday trying to find out how we knew about a family’s unanswered 911 call for help.

News4 learned of the family’s unanswered calls from two public safety sources who each had details of an internal police record. On Thursday, an internal affairs agent called Oberg to ask what information News4 got and who shared it.

News4 takes protecting sources seriously, and Oberg did not answer. The internal affairs agent admitted an answer was unlikely, but said the commander of internal affairs assigned him to investigate.

MPD and DC’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety have not answered questions about why they are conducting a leak investigation.

Anvar Guliyev, of Fairfax, Virginia, was the man who died, the Metropolitan Police Department said. He was 36.

Officers responded to the parking garage, in the 1800 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, at about noon Wednesday. A fight had been reported.

Police found a scene in the garage but no victims.

Somehow, two men with stab wounds made their way to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, about a mile away. Guliyev was pronounced dead. The other man was admitted to the hospital in critical condition.

Meanwhile at the store known by some as “Social Safeway,” detectives processed the scene in the parking garage as patrons shopped. The garage bristles with surveillance cameras.

A suspect was arrested on Thursday morning, police said in an update. Khalil Khalilov, 34, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed and assault with intent to kill.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

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Two marshals were parked in separate vehicles when Kentrell Flowers, 18, of Southeast, got out of a vehicle, approached a marshal and pointed a handgun at him “in an apparent attempt to carjack him,” police said in a statement. Flowers got out of a silver minivan and pointed the gun through the driver’s side window, a criminal complaint said.

The marshal drew his gun and fired several shots. A second marshal got out of another vehicle and also opened fire.

A marshal shot Flowers about four times, hitting him in the mouth, documents say. The marshal provided first aid, and the minivan took off.

Flowers was taken to a hospital with injuries that police described as non-life-threatening. The marshals were not hurt.

The marshal was in an unmarked vehicle but dressed in a U.S. Marshals shirt, documents say.

Sotomayor was not directly mentioned in court documents, and there is no indication she was the target of the attack.

The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to NBC News that the marshals involved in the shooting were part of the unit protecting Supreme Court justices’ homes.

The suspect was charged with armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license and possession of a large-capacity ammunition-feeding device. Information on his lawyer did not immediately appear in online court records.

An MPD investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

D.C. has seen a significant drop in carjackings, with a 46% decline this year so far, compared to the same period last year. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves held a news conference Monday about how officials made progress.

D.C. saw a record high in carjackings in 2023. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) was the victim of an armed carjacking near his home in the Navy Yard neighborhood in October 2023. He said three people “came out of nowhere” and pointed guns at him. In November, a Secret Service agent protecting a granddaughter of President Joe Biden opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in Georgetown, an official said.

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Rohit Tripathi said he was thrilled when his son Shrey landed an internship, so he took the teen to Ben’s Chili Bowl to celebrate. While they were enjoying lunch at the local landmark, about a block away at 12th and T Street Northwest, a thief was breaking into cars — including their’s.

“We realized something was wrong when the cop was standing next to our car, and we were literally a block away,” he said. “I thought I was going to get a ticket, turned out that my passenger side rear window was smashed.”

The back window of a 2022 Tesla Model 3 smashed and a bag with two laptops and other valuables gone. Several witnesses who lived nearby called the cops and snapped pictures of the suspect as it was going down. By the time police arrived it was too late.

“I feel violated,” Tripathi said. “I don’t know if there’s any better word for that.”

“The computer that I was basically doing my work on, it’s all gone,” said Tripathi’s son.

Tripathi said he’s relieved it wasn’t worse, but it still stings.

“This person could be armed, and if we had caught them in the act or yelled something, we don’t know what their reaction might have been, so I think we’re definitely counting our blessings,” he said.

Neighbors in the area told News4 car break-ins like these and package thefts are on the rise in the area, and they need help.

“Don’t think that crime happens to other people,” Tripathi said. “Crime can happen to you.”

While the search continues for the person behind the break-in, Tripathi had an important reminder for anyone driving and parking in the District.

“Don’t take any chances even if the neighborhood looks nice,” he said.

Anyone who knows anything that can help with the investigation is encouraged to call the Metropolitan Police Department.

The renovation project seeks to refurbish and rebuild the historic instrument, which boasts more than 100,000 pipes. 

“The instrument will be refurbished and rebuilt reusing pipes from where we can, recycling where we cannot,” National Cathedral Deputy Director of Facilities and Preservation Patrick Smith said. 

Installed in 1938, the pipe organ was erected during the cathedral’s construction. Over the years, wear and tear have led to tuning and sound issues. 

“By the time this organ was completely shut off, we were already at about 75% of it being operational,” organist and National Cathedral Associate Director of Music Tom Sheehan said. “Either portions had gone dead or portions had been intentionally shut off. The pipes wouldn’t stop sometimes. The valve would get stuck sometimes, and then you’d have to go and remove the pipe in order to make it stop.” 

Now, large and smaller pipes and pieces of the organ are being dismantled, packed and shipped off for improvements. The largest pipe, measuring 17.5-feet long and weighing 442 pounds, is among the components being restored. 

Project leaders emphasize that the process of taking the organ apart and resembling it will require time and a very meticulous strategy. 

“We had 166 10-foot trays and 80 5-foot trays,” said Douglas McKeever of Foley-Baker Organ, Inc. “Some of them have pipes, some of them have parts. All of that has to be labeled and cataloged so that we can put it all back together when we need to.” 

For the past six months, and continuing into the future, the cathedral will use a digital organ for services and events. The new and improved pipe organ is scheduled to be installed in 2029.

Coopersmith, who died in April, was renowned for her lavish gatherings that drew crowds consisting of Washington’s elite, including presidents, congressmen and diplomats. 

The home at 2230 S St. NW was built in 1925 and originally boasted 28 rooms. Coopersmith purchased the property in 1995 and transformed it into the luxurious experience it is today. The updated 13,000-square-foot house has six bedrooms, seven full baths and three half baths. 

Coopersmith’s home became well-known for the extravagant parties she hosted — approximately 50 to 75 parties a year. Her dining room became especially renowned with a dining room table made to seat 75 guests. 

Presidents, first ladies and diplomats from both the U.S. and around the world often attended her events, bridging political divides through her hospitality.

Among her distinguished guests, Coopersmith counted President Joe Biden as a friend from his early days in the Senate. She also had a close relationship with Queen Sirikit of Thailand, who frequently stayed at the mansion and had a preferred suite upstairs. 

The mansion sits on two lots, providing privacy and beautiful grounds that include a pool and extensive green space. 

The house is not just a residence but a piece of D.C.’s social history. Memorabilia from past events, including photos signed with personal notes of gratitude to Coopersmith, cover the walls. 

“I think the likely candidate is going to be somebody who wants to be in D.C. and carry on the traditions of this house for the last 100 years,” TTR Sotheby’s International Realty founder Jonathan Taylor said.

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Two of the victims are thought to have been wounded in the same shooting.

Police said investigators do not believe the two shootings are connected.

The first shooting occurred a little before 4:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of Kansas Avenue NW. A man was shot in an alley and was in critical condition.

A suspect was last seen in a black ski mask, tan hooded sweatshirt and black jeans and was riding a black-and-white motorized scooter.

D.C. Fire and EMS and the Metropolitan Police Department then responded to a shooting in the 1300 block of Peabody Street, where a man had been shot in the leg shortly before 4:45 p.m.

Police then got a call in the same area, 13th Street between Peabody Street and Colorado Avenue, where a 79-year-old driving down the block suffered a graze wound to her head, a source on the scene told News4. She was found conscious and is now resting at home.

News4 spoke briefly with the woman, who is doing okay but declined an interview.

As many as 10 vehicles were also damaged by the gunfire.

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Police said there had been a running gun battle between two groups of men. There were three men in each group, and they were last seen running on Georgia Avenue.

A man was renovating a home on the block when he heard the gunfire and sound of ricocheting bullets. He hit the floor and stayed there for a few minutes, he said.

Community reacts: ‘City just doesn’t take action’

At a community walk Wednesday, MPD Inspector Sean Connors of the Fourth District told a small group of residents the department is doing everything in its power to drive down crime.

“I’m sure if you’ve come to any of our walks, our meetings before, we’ve talked about the Real Time Crime Center,” Connors said. “that’s a huge asset to us right now where we can look at footage in real time as things are happening. That’s what we did yesterday. You saw the image we put out for the shooting on Kansas Avenue.”

There are not yet any images released from the shooting on Colorado Avenue.

“Why are we not getting these officers to walk the beat, go to the houses and find out what is going on what is triggering this?” asked one resident at the walk. “There has to be something triggering this.”

Residents at the walk expressed concerns over what, on the surface, seems to be an uptick in violent crime.

“We have seen from armed robberies, to auto theft, carjackings and shootings back and forth,” said ANC Commissioner Vanessa Rubio. “We have sounds of gunshots late at night.”

Rubio grew up in the neighborhood and now represents it. She said residents were safer when MPD used vice squads to drive down crime.

“Constituents are raged,” Rubio said. “They’re raged that this is happening, that nothing is being done. We know where the problems are, and the city just doesn’t take action.”

Connors said the department is working to recruit more officers and encouraged people to install cameras and give police access to the footage.

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Omer Kaan Demir was 28.

His father works for the Turkish embassy. As the search for the shooter continues, his family demands justice.

“He was an amazing soul — the nicest guy you could probably meet — and he had a huge life ahead,” said his brother, Eren Demir. “Crazy. I just have no words for it.”

Loved ones say Omer Kaan Demir was dropping off his girlfriend on Underwood Street NW near Piney Branch Road when he was gunned down.

“His girlfriend called me on FaceTime through Instagram, and all I saw was her crying and police sirens and then one of the officers were next to her as well, and my initial response was I thought it was a car crash, because I never thought he would get shot.” Eren Demir said, “The officer was like, ‘He’s been shot multiple times, the condition doesn’t look good, they’re trying to like resuscitate him.’”

Eren Demir said he rushed to the scene, but by the time he arrived, it was too late. His older brother, best friend and business partner was gone and his family shattered.

“No words can describe what they’re feeling,” the victim’s brother said. “I still can’t wrap my head around what happened, because he was like the nicest guy to anyone.”

Nearly 24 hours after the shooting, there has been no word from investigators on a possible motive or suspect description. Family members think it may have been a robbery.

The victim’s brother had a message for the person who pulled the trigger: “I hope he rots in prison and faces the harshest punishment possible, because you took a beautiful soul in my brother.”

There is a reward of up to $25,000 for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Anyone with information is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department.

Devon Sharp, of Northwest D.C., was the victim.

Officers responded to the 1200 block of V Street NW for the report of a shooting on Saturday, May 18, at about 3:30 a.m. When they arrived, they found that Sharp had been shot. He was taken to a hospital and died of his injuries two days later, police said.

Police shared new photos of the suspect on June 5. He was seen on surveillance cameras and seen speeding off in a red Dodge Charger, police said.

Police did not release additional information on the shooting. News4 tried unsuccessfully to contact Sharp’s family.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police. A reward of up to $25,000 is available.

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So far this year, 70 people have been killed in the District, marking a 25% decrease since the same period last year, Metropolitan Police Department statistics say. Reports of violent crime are down 27%.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Surveillance video captured some intense moments inside the convenience store on Columbia Road NW about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The video shows a man entering the store and appearing to argue with an employee and two other people. An employee gets between the victim and the assailant before the assailant lunges at the victim and throws a punch. The victim stumbles before the pair leave the store.

Police say that when the suspect and the victim went outside, the suspect punched the victim after he turned his back, knocking him to the ground and leaving him with a serious head injury.

Police said the suspect ran off on Champlain Street NW.

On Wednesday, police announced they arrested 35-year-old Brandon Jones, of no fixed address, later on the same day of the attack. He is charged with aggravated assault, police said.

The D.C. police department’s homicide division is leading the investigation due to the severity of the assault.

Surveillance video captured some intense moments inside the convenience store on Columbia Road NW early Tuesday morning.

The video shows the suspect entering the store and appearing to argue with an employee and two other people. An employee gets in between the victim and suspect before the suspect lunges at the victim and throws a punch. The victim stumbles before the pair leave the store.

Police say that when the suspect and the victim went outside, the suspect punched the victim after he turned his back, knocking him to the ground and leaving him with a serious head injury.

The victim was taken to a hospital, where police say he remains in critical condition.

The D.C. police department’s homicide division is leading the investigation due to the severity of the assault.

Police say the suspect ran off on Champlain Street NW. Anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts is asked to contact police.

Police said someone called to report a man with a gun at around 2:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Davis Place NW in Glover Park. Authorities did not say what led up to that call.

D.C. police confirmed negotiators have made contact with the man barricaded inside the apartment, and they believe he is the only one inside.

No injuries have been reported.

A large police response, including one officer who was carrying a riot shield, could be seen outside the apartment. 

The scene is near the Russian Embassy, in a residential area with apartment and condo buildings.

Several neighbors said they were stuck outside because police blocked off the whole street.

“My dog has diabetes, so we need to get him his insulin here pretty soon too, but really we just want to know what’s going on in our neighborhood,” one woman said. “I feel like I have started to see crime a little bit more, but nothing on this scale. And it does make you pause a little bit.”

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

The fire happened at a parking garage of the United States Institute of Peace Headquarters in the 2300 block of Constitution Avenue NW. 

Four people were evaluated, but no one was taken to the hospital, according to the fire department. 

The fire was extinguished.

Authorities did not immediately say what may have started the fire.

A driver parked on 14th Street just south of U Street at about 3 a.m. Sunday to pick up a McDonald’s food delivery order, a police report says. When he headed back to the car, it and Recardito were gone.

The driver’s car was recovered early Monday, but the 4-year-old bulldog wasn’t found until Monday evening.

Police continue to search for the suspect, who was caught on nearby cameras, police say.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to call police. A reward of up to $1,000 is available.

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After a spike in carjackings in 2023, carjackings are down so far this year, Metropolitan Police Department statistics say. In comparison to the same time last year, carjackings are down 17% and motor vehicle thefts are down 31%.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

The suspects charged with armed carjacking are two 15-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy.

The crime happened on Thursday at around 6:07 p.m. in the 700 block of Lamont Street NW, police said. 

“The victim told officers that he was sitting in his car when a suspect approached him. The suspect pointed a gun at him while demanding the victim get out of the car,” D.C. police said in a news release. 

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A second suspect then approached and told the victim to get his child, of unspecified age, out of the vehicle, authorities said. The victim complied and the teens allegedly took off.

A police helicopter was able to track down the car “less than 15 minutes later,” according to MPD. 

Dramatic bystander video shows how at least three officers ran behind the stolen car, at one point trying to open a door.

Police said the suspects abandoned the car at 11th and R streets NW and fled on foot.

The helicopter was able to locate the teenagers and they were arrested, authorities said. Police also said they found a firearm. 

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

The fire on the first floor of a restaurant on the 700 block of 6th Street NW was reported at around 1 p.m., D.C. Fire and EMS said. 

“The fire ended up being on both floors of the 2 story restaurant with extension to roof,” according to the fire department.

No injuries were reported, authorities said. 

By about 1:30 p.m., all visible fire was extinguished, D.C. fire said. Firefighters were then only checking for hotspots.

Crews rushed out to Peabody Street NW in Brightwood just after 12 p.m., as powerful flames and thick smoke forced dozens of residents to evacuate the building in a matter of minutes.

Video shows fire shooting out of a basement unit as residents scramble to safety. 

D.C. Fire and EMS said one person was hospitalized with critical injuries and a firefighter suffered minor injuries.

In an update Wednesday morning, the fire department confirmed the cause of the fire.

“Fire investigators confirm lithium-ion batteries in a charging scooter caused yesterday’s Peabody St fire leaving 1 critical and over 2 dozen homeless. 2nd recent fire in DC of this nature. Never charge these devices where they block your egress from the home,” the department said. Photos show the burnt wreckage.

‘All I saw was black and smoke’

Resident Cassandra Israel told News4 the blaze started in her unit. She said she believes it was sparked by her friend’s electric scooter as it was charging. 

“I’m looking out the door at the room, and I just see all the flames and sparking, going towards our entrance and our exit,” Israel said. 

“The fire just like, went up in flames. And it was so much smoke. So, when I turned my head in the hallway to tell the people to call 911, and then I looked at my apartment doors, I couldn’t see nothing,” Israel said. 

Another resident, Andrew, said he jumped into action as soon as he knew something was wrong.

“I was sleep and I heard a boom,” he said. “All I saw was black and smoke, and the knob was hot. So I went and I got my family and we jumped out through this here basement window to save ourselves.”

Firefighters had to use ladders to rescue people who were trapped on upper floors. D.C. Fire and EMS said working fire alarms likely saved lives. 

News4 was there as Andre Prailow and his family arrived to assess the damage. He said he’s thankful that his wife and three young children weren’t inside when the fire broke out.

“As a parent, we just thank God, because we could’ve been there … We could either be cooking, we could be doing anything, and that would’ve just happened,” Prailow said. 

The fire department said nine of the units are uninhabitable. 

The Red Cross is helping residents who were displaced.

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Tips on how to use lithium-ion batteries safely

There’s a growing push for federal regulation of lithium-ion batteries in products, as News4 reported. Safety standards are now voluntary.

The batteries fuel thousands of everyday products, but have been blamed for exploding and causing deadly fires.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

Here’s advice from Underwriter Laboratories’ Fire Safety Research Institute and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission how to safely use the batteries:

• Don’t leave batteries on the charger. Once they’re charged, unplug them.
• Place larger lithium-ion batteries, like those for power tools, on timers, so the charger will automatically shut off.
• Be wary of after market batteries and only use batteries recommended or made by the manufacturer for your product.
• Never throw these batteries in the trash. Take them to a battery recycling center or hazardous waste site.
• Don’t try to manipulate or alter the batteries. Experts said this dramatically increases risk of fire.

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The Twin Oaks Tool Library at 14th and Taylor streets NW works like a regular library except, instead of books, they loan out tools. It’s housed in a tattered wood building nestled in a community garden.

Before the fundraising goal was met, librarian Abigail Salvatore said she was unsure if the library could recover. Equipment worth more than $11,000 was taken in thefts caught on video.

“It’s just a really valuable community resource, and to see that taken away from the neighborhood, from the community, is really hard to see,” she said.

A neighbor’s security camera caught one of the break-ins. Video shows two people making multiple trips to steal tools, using a shopping cart to carry some items away.

“They took a ton of our power tools, batteries, saws, a generator … [and] a ton of the more valuable tools that we have, some of the most popular stuff,” Salvatore said. “It feels really cleaned out,” she added.

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The tool library has loaned out tools for three years and will continue to, as they plan to reopen in the spring and expand to Ward 7 later in the year.

Feinstein and her late husband, Richard C. Blum, purchased the French Renaissance revival-style home in 2001. The 1.8-acre estate in the Spring Valley area has three bedrooms in the main house, an additional bedroom above the carriage house, a three-car garage and a one-bedroom apartment.

It has an oversized pool, a pool cabana and changing rooms near a rear garden.

“This is one of the most special properties I’ve ever listed in my career. It’s very hard to find in D.C.,” Ben Roth of Washington Fine Properties told News4.  

One of the favorite rooms of the late senator was a breakfast room off the kitchen, where she used to enjoy looking out at the trees. “She really enjoyed that room every day,” Roth said. 

The home’s Red Room is where Feinstein is believed to have often worked. There is another room, The Great Room, with a wood-burning fireplace that leads into a garden room that overlooks the pool. “It’s a really, really comfortable room,” Roth said.

“There is a famous story in a couple about a time Senator Clinton and Senator Obama meeting here [the Great Room] Senator Feinstein invited them over so that they could have a separate meeting, as we entered into the 2008 election cycle,” Roth said. 

According to Roth, the president of American University resided in the home years before Feinstein and Blum purchased the property.

“I think what really attracted them to the property is the privacy, the land and the way you can entertain within the property. You know, everything flows inside,” Roth said. 

Roth said the luxury real estate market tends to follow political cycles, with rising demand as we get closer to the November presidential election. 

Feinstein made history as San Francisco’s first female mayor and served in Congress for over 30 years. She died on Sept. 29, 2023, at age 90. In addition to her D.C. home, Feinstein owned properties in California, Aspen, Tahoe and Hawaii. 

The fire started at about 9 p.m. at a home in the 700 block of Rock Creek Church Road NW. The flames began on the home’s second floor and extended to the third floor, DC Fire and EMS said.

Firefighters found the victim inside the home.

DC Fire said in an update Sunday the victim did not survive their injuries. Their identity was not immediately released.

Photos show what appears to be a rowhome with ladders going to the second-story windows. The windows look broken and blackened by smoke.

Seven people were displaced from their home. No other injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates.

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Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Stead Park is the District’s first net zero rec center, meaning it’s designed to not have any negative impact on the environment.

The $15 million rec center, which was a gift to the District from the Stead family, has been in the works since 2017 and sits on P Street NW between Dupont Circle and Logan Circle.

“This was really a community-driven effort to make sure that Stead recreation center is really most responsive to what this neighborhood and what the city really needs, which is access to excellent, safe recreation space,” D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto said.

Funding for Stead Park was supplemented by a half-million-dollar grant from community members, through the nonprofit group Friends of Stead Park.

Stead Park will have all the traditional amenities, such as basketball courts, a fitness center, a playground and a splash park.

Delano Hunter, director of the D.C. Department of General Services, told News4 the park has features that contribute to its goal of net zero, including a solar canopy and geothermal wells. All of the park’s energy will be produced on site.

According to Hunter, the net zero park is just one part of the District’s overall goal of reducing the city’s carbon footprint. While Stead is the District’s first net zero rec center, it’s far from the D.C. government’s first net zero building. Hunter said that nearly seven D.C. public schools have achieved net zero status, and there are more projects currently in the planning stages with goals of achieving net zero.

“We want to be good stewards of the earth and of our environment,” Hunter said.

The Stead family has roots in D.C. dating to the 1800s. Robert Stead was a noted architect. The Lovejoy school on Capitol Hill is among his designs. When he died in 1943, he left money and land to the District for a park to be built in honor of his wife, Mary Force Stead. Stead Park was originally to be located in Southeast D.C. but was later moved to its current location in Northwest.

The shooting happened at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Q Street Northwest, steps away from the Dupont Circle Metro station.

D.C. police said officers responded about 4 p.m. and found a man with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle.

He was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was receiving treatment Tuesday evening, police said.

Photos from the scene show a silver Mercedes-Benz G-Class with New York plates stopped near a dark-colored Nissan with scratches on its passenger side door.

No information was immediately released about a potential suspect, but police ask anyone with information to contact them.

Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.

Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

The man was robbed at the intersection of 11th and Clifton Streets NW in Columbia Heights at about 1:30 p.m. The group hit and kicked the man until he was unconscious, then stole his black jacket, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.  

The victim later regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital.

The suspects ran off and were last seen going north in the 2300 block of 11th St. NW. No weapon was involved, police said.

The robbery is one of several in recent months that involve a Canada Goose Jacket. In early January, bullets went through the window of a home after a man was robbed of his jacket.

The jackets retail for upwards of $1,800 when purchased new, according to the company’s website.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for updates. 

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The calls started coming in to D.C. police early Friday morning. By 10 a.m., it was clear that a small area of the neighborhood had been hit by an unusually large number of car break-ins.

Authorities said the break-ins happened between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. 

Broken glass littered 29th Street, from Woodley Road to Calvert Street. Some cars still had the tell-tale tiny fragments of glass where a window had been. Others were taped up with plastic, awaiting repair.

Various models of cars were targeted.

Mitchell Moss’ minivan was among them.

“My son was going to school and the front driver’s side window was knocked out,” he said.

Many people in the neighborhood have experienced a car break-in over the years, but had never seen something of this magnitude.

No air bags were taken, according to the police report. The suspect or suspects did rifle through the consoles and glove compartments of some of the vehicles, police said. 

One resident, who asked not to be identified, said she heard a car alarm go off in the overnight hours, but when it stopped, she went back to sleep

The number of police reports continued to grow into the afternoon, as people who had not used their cars earlier in the day came out to discover the damage.

One woman said she was told it would be a week before her window could be replaced.

Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

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No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Firefighters first responded to a vacant building that caught fire on the 1300 block of Main Drive NW. The blaze sent a tower of smoke billowing into the air.

D.C. Fire and EMS said they responded with about 100 personnel and 20 units.

Flames were shooting out of the roof, and fire was found on the first floor in the center of the “vacant” structure, the fire department said. 

By 7:15 p.m., firefighters working in single-digit windchill had knocked down all fire on the first floor, D.C. Fire and EMS said on X.

The department also thanked the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service for filling in at District firehouses in the meantime and “[operating] at other incidents in the city.”

No injuries were reported, authorities said, and it was not immediately clear what caused the blaze. 

Firefighters later responded to the 500 block of Columbia Road NW for a fire on the second floor of a two-story home.

Video of the scene showed a large smoke cloud above the house.

While firefighters were successful in knocking down flames on the second floor, D.C. Fire and EMS said they extended into the attic.

The department called their work “labor intensive,” with crews working hard in single-digit windchill to fight the “hidden fire.”

The 500 block of Columbia Road NW will be closed between Georgia Avenue and Warder Street overnight.

No injuries were reported.

At that scene, D.C. Fire and EMS said the Friendship Fire Association provided food and refreshments to the first responders working in “bitterly cold weather.”

Not long after, crews responded to the 1600 block of Harvard Street NW for a small fire on the roof of a building under renovation.

Firefighters said they had to use a road flare to thaw a frozen hydrant.

That fire was extinguished. The department did not elaborate on a cause or potential injuries.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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Property managers of the Todd A. Lee Senior Residences at 809 Kennedy St. NW did provide space heaters, but now some are concerned about potential fire risks. 

A rattling sound was the last thing one renter, who did not want to be identified, heard before the heat went out.

“They don’t care, but they want your rent money on time,” one renter said. “[It’s] pure hell. It seems like there’s no consideration for my well-being or my safety. The temperatures have been in the 20s and the teens, and it’s unacceptable.” 

Neighbors including Lois Scott said it’s a familiar story inside the building. 

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Scott also lost heat on Sunday and was given a space heater to keep warm.

“They keep the apartment warm, but I don’t think they’re really safe to keep in your apartment. You have to make sure you put them some place where it won’t catch on fire,” she said.

Scott said she’s gotten no explanation on what happened or when the heat will be fixed — and she said losing heat is just the latest on a long list of maintenance issues.

“It’s infested with rats and mice,” Scott said. “You can’t really describe it because the smell is so bad. I mean, it’s really bad, and sometimes you be there and you hear them up in the ceiling. I mean, it’s really frightening.”

It’s gotten so bad that she wears a mask in most of the common areas because of a foul odor, she said.

News4 reached out several times to representatives for the property management company, Faria Management. By Wednesday evening, we had not received a response.

“I just hope we don’t have any fires; that’s what I’m afraid of,” Scott said.

She added that the heating problem was reported to the District, and someone came to check it out on Wednesday.

Another resident said his heat had returned Wednesday evening after being out for three weeks.

If you believe your landlord is not making needed repairs or not providing winter heating as required by law, or if you believe your health and safety are in danger, you can request an inspection from the D.C. Department of Buildings online here or by calling 202-671-3500.

CORRECTION (Jan. 18, 2024, 2:18 p.m.): An earlier version of this story contained outdated contact information to request a housing inspection. It has been updated.

The theater halted operations and is struggling to stay afloat after losing more than $250,000 to a bank account hack, co-founder Rebecca Medrano said.

Only on News4, Medrano described the moment she learned what happened.

“I broke down in tears. I absolutely felt like I was hit by a truck,” she said. “It’s like waking up to your worst possible scenario.”

Medrano said her accountant was trying to get into the theater’s online bank account last Thursday. She was alerted that someone else was already logged in.

Moments later, the accountant saw that more than $250,000 had vanished in a fraudulent wire transfer. Citibank never alerted them to the transfer and was unable to freeze the funds, Medrano said.

Those funds are critical to keeping the theater’s doors open and lights on. Medrano filed a claim and said she was told getting the money back would be no easy task.

“They told me it could take up to eight months, at which point I replied, ‘GALA will be dead,’” she said.

GALA has cyber insurance, Medrano said, but she was told she would have to pay thousands to hire a lawyer to try to get the claim resolved. It’s a process she said they don’t have the money or time for.

The plan for now is to go on with their next play, which is set to open Feb. 1. The theater located on 14th Street NW in Columbia Heights is working to raise emergency funds.

“The show must go on. It’s death to nonprofits when you stop and you stop for a while, especially if they’re telling me to stop eight months. That would literally kill us. There would be no more GALA theater if that were the case,” Medrano said.

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Citibank did not immediately respond to an inquiry about what’s being done to try to recover the money.

Medrano said she filed a report with the FBI.

The victim was sitting at a bus stop at North Capitol and P streets NW, south of Florida Avenue, when the attacker poured liquid on him and ignited it at about 3:05 p.m., police said. The attacker ran off, and the man was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

The suspect was caught on surveillance camera, police said, sharing an image and asking the public for help finding him. He’s carrying a container.

Police did not immediately say whether the victim and suspect are believed to have known each other.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police. A reward of up to $10,000 is available.

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Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Medics evaluated 24 students and four adults, and they required no further medical attention, DC Fire and EMS said. One adult was taken to a hospital to be evaluated.

Cleveland Elementary School, on 8th Street NW in the Shaw area, was evacuated because of what school officials initially called “an unknown odor.”

DC Fire and EMS were called to the school shortly after 10:30 a.m. after several people reportedly felt sick.

News4 video shows students and staff members being evacuated to the parking lot of a nearby church. Students were dismissed to their families, DC Public Schools said.

A hazmat crew responded to determine the source of the stench. Large fans could be seen at an entrance to the building.

The source of the odor was asphalt work at an “adjacent construction site,” DC Fire and EMS concluded.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.

No hazardous meter readings were found, according to the department.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Police said the victim had parked his car with the puppy locked inside while he picked up wings on the corner of 10^th Street NW and U Street NW at around 7:45 p.m. 

When he came back outside shortly after, someone had smashed his car window and stolen the dog, authorities said. 

Police describe the dog as a 10-week-old French bulldog puppy named Dak, with a brown body and a black face. 

The man told police he had just gotten the puppy, as it was a Christmas present for his son.

No information on a suspect was immediately available. Anyone with information should call police at (202) 727-9099 or text a tip to 50411.

This case is just the latest in a string of dog-nappings in the District. Seven out of eight puppies stolen from Southeast were reunited with their owner after being taken from her car on Saturday. That same day, authorities announced they arrested a man for stealing a French bulldog a few days before Christmas. And on New Year’s Eve, a pitbull was stolen from a home during a burglary. The dog was later returned to police by a concerned citizen, but the suspect in that case is also still on the loose.

The robbery occurred on Elm Street. Moments later, gunshots rang out at Fifth and T streets.

A bullet tore through a bedroom window at about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, New Year’s Day. Luckily, the resident had positioned a dresser in front of the windows as part of the room’s furniture arrangement.

He said he realized a bullet had gone through the window “after walking into my bedroom and finding chips of my dresser on the bed.”

D.C. officers placed at least nine evidence markers, marking shell casings, in the intersection.

The shooting appears to have occurred moments after a man was robbed at gunpoint of his Canada Goose jacket and yoga bag. He was not physically injured and did not appear to have been the target of the shooting.

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Neighbors said the robbers seemed to be shooting at a bystander, who also was not physically injured.

Bullets dug into the brick of two nearby homes. Neighbors said they heard gunshots on the block just last week.

Holiday shoppers were still out and about at about 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, in the 900 block of F Street NW when the Metropolitan Police Department officer opened fire.

According to police, officers spotted a man who police say they believed was carrying a gun in his waistband. As officers approached him, he fled. Police provided preliminary details the night of the shooting.

“As the officers were attempting to stop that individual, a firearm was displayed. One officer discharged a round at the individual,” Executive Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll said.

The video shows an officer chasing the man down the sidewalk and yelling at him.

“Put your hands up!” he says on video.

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The man appears to slip and fall, get back up and continue to run away, at which point the officer fires one shot.

“Shot fired. Don’t move, don’t move,” he said.

Even slowing down the video, which was blurred by police, it’s unclear if the man draws a weapon and points it at police, or if the man was facing police when he was shot.

As an officer handcuffs the suspect, the man tells police he’s been shot.

“Excuse me. I’m bleeding,” he says.

“Nobody cares. Shut your mouth,” someone is heard replying.

As police search the man, an officer points to a handgun on the sidewalk.

“The weapon is right there,” someone says.

According to police, the loaded semi-automatic handgun was recovered near the man, a 27-year-old.

Police charged him with assault on a police officer, possession of a controlled substance and six firearms charges, including unlawful possession and carrying a pistol without a license.

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The officer was placed on routine administrative leave pending an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Police say the man’s injuries were not life-threatening, that no officers were injured and that it did not appear that the man fired his weapon. Police declined to answer any follow-up questions about the shooting.

Turell Campbell, 30, was killed, and a Park Police officer was shot multiple times.

It all unfolded quickly at about 2:30 p.m. Nov. 22, the day before Thanksgiving, near Massachusetts Avenue and 12th Street NW. A Park Police officer stopped his cruiser and began to chase a man up 12th Street.

“Got one running,” an officer can be heard saying.

Park Police say a group of officers saw Campbell involved in what they called a “suspected drug violation” in a nearby park, which is federal property.

The foot chase continued east onto M Street NW.

“Get down! You gon’ get hurt!” an officer shouted.

As the officer caught up to Campbell, gunfire is heard. Both Campbell and the officer were shot.

The officer was hospitalized with wounds to the torso and legs. Campbell was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Park Police enhanced the bodycam footage to show the exchange of gunfire and the suspect’s gun, which was recovered on the scene. A memorial to Campbell remains in the area.

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The officer, whose identity was not released, is still recovering. The Metropolitan Police Department is leading the investigation, and it will be reviewed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. An administrative review of the shooting also is underway and is being conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The shooting happened at around 8:30 p.m. in the 900 block of F Street NW, in Penn Quarter, MPD Executive Assistant Jeffrey Carroll said at a news conference. The scene is steps away from Downtown Holiday Market, Capital One Arena and the National Portrait Gallery.

Police said they were attempting to stop the man because they suspected he was armed, but did not specify what he was doing with the gun.

The man then ran from officers, and during the chase he displayed a firearm, according to authorities. 

An officer fired once, hitting the man in the lower body, Carroll said. 

The man was arrested and given medical treatment, and is now stable at a hospital, according to police. 

A gun was recovered on the scene, authorities said. There is no indication that the man fired at officers. 

The officers involved are on a routine administrative leave. Bodycam footage captured the shooting and is being reviewed, according to the department.

Police responded to Kesher Israel, in Georgetown, just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday after a man allegedly shouted “Gas the Jews” and sprayed people with a foul-smelling substance.

Rabbi Hyim Shafner was teaching a class inside the synagogue with a few congregants. One of them opened the front door and was surprised to see a U-Haul van parked on the sidewalk.

What happened next damaged a community’s sense of security.

“He was yelling ‘Gas the Jews,’” Shafner said.

Police say Brent Wood, 33, stood outside the house of worship and sprayed a congregant and someone jogging on the street with a foul-smelling spray. A photo obtained by News4 shows police approaching the suspect.

Shafner said he and the rest of the congregants went inside, exited a different way and called police.

“I was afraid. I was worried he was going to do something more violent,” the rabbi said.

Police arrested Wood and charged him with simple assault and resisting arrest. Officers briefly evacuated residents nearby as they performed a sweep of the U-Haul. Nothing hazardous was found.

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“The police were wrestling this guy on the ground, trying to get him to stop resisting, and there must have been five, six police cars. I’ve never seen so many,” neighbor Nora Cameron said.

Metropolitan Police Department bias-related crimes data says that as of Nov. 30, police have investigated 22 incidents targeting Jewish people in D.C. this year. In 2022, there were nine incidents. In 2021, there were 13.

“It’s certainly something I haven’t seen in 50 years. It’s a dramatic upswing, uptick, and it’s unsettling,” said Ron Halber of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.

D.C. police say someone sent threatening emails to multiple synagogues in the District, including Kesher Israel. No credible threats were found, but it’s still unnerving.

“This is a country where everybody should feel free to worship as they want to worship. That’s what America’s built on – freedom of religion. If we’ve gotten to a time where people can’t do that, I think it should worry all of us,” Shafner said.

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Police say the suspect is not from the area. His driver’s license shows his last known address as Toledo, Ohio. He’s due in court Jan. 29.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will determine if what happened will be officially classified as a hate crime.

Police responded to the store at CityCenterDC on I Street NW at around 5:30 p.m., after receiving a call about a robbery involving multiple suspects.

Two suspects were at the door while four others took items from inside, according to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

“Of the group, four entered in and stole an undetermined amount of merchandise and they fled the scene,” MPD Commander Tatjana Savoy said. 

Police said one of those suspects was armed with a fire extinguisher and used it as a weapon, deploying the liquid inside as a distraction.

As the suspects were leaving, an armed security officer hired by the store fired a shot, authorities said. 

“That round did not take effect. At this time, we do not have any property damage, nor do we have any reported injuries,” Savoy said. “We have our internal affairs on scene and they’re combing through of course interviews and video footage.”

As for the suspects, police say they are looking for a white sedan seen leaving the scene. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact police. 

D.C.’s Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration said this week it would comply with the Westminster Neighborhood Association’s request to not approve new liquor licenses in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW. This would mean a pause on new bars or clubs opening in the area just south of the crowd-drawing U Street.

Neighbors like Tania Shand have been vocal about the state of their neighborhood and why they believe the move is necessary.

“There’s noise, there’s trash, there’s crime, there’s break-in[s],” Shand said.

It’s the bars that don’t follow the law that are to blame, she said.

“What do you want the neighbors to do?” Shand asked.

News4 obtained a draft of the moratorium published this week. It included rules for prospective businesses and detailed that the pause could last up to three years.

Thomas Abeb, owner of Right Spot Bar & Lounge on 9th Street, said he’s added extra security to help with the rise in crime, but he isn’t sure if a moratorium is the right step.

“Investment into our city is very important, and [allowing liquor licenses] could mean so many potential investors to come to the city and you know, be interested to this area, to make it better to the city,” Abeb said.

The changes could go into effect as soon as May of next year. First, there will be a 30-day public comment period followed by a 90-day window for the D.C. Council to override the decision.

Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau and other leaders previously expressed support for the moratorium.

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The boy was shot in the hip and taken to a hospital, Metro Transit Police said. According to the initial investigation, the shooter followed the boy into the station.

Officers responded to Georgia Avenue NW at about 2:45 p.m. The victim was found “on the unpaid side of the mezzanine area,” Metro Transit Police said.

A search for a suspect is underway, police said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were in the station at the time of the shooting.

Metro said the Georgia Avenue entrance of the station was closed because of police activity, while the New Hampshire Avenue entrance remained open.

The victim’s injuries are not expected to be life-threatening, police said.

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Both D.C. police and Metro Transit police responded.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.

Karen Hylton’s trial in federal court took two days.

Hylton shouted in court and clashed with officers as a jury announced its verdict for the officers accused in the death of Karon Hylton-Brown, who died in 2020 after police chased him and his scooter crashed.

Hylton was accused of violating a law that makes it illegal to “assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or interfere with a federal law enforcement officer,” according to court documents.

Hylton-Brown was 20 and the father of an infant when police saw him riding an electric scooter on streets and sidewalks in the Brightwood Park neighborhood of Northwest D.C. Officers chased him, he was hit by a passing van and he died three days later.

Officer Terence Sutton, who was driving a police car, was found guilty of second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice. Lt. Andrew Zabavsky, who was driving a second police car, was found guilty of conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

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As the jury announced its verdict in the officers’ case, Hylton-Brown’s mother screamed, yelled, stomped her feet and snapped her fingers, court documents say. A courtroom security officer told her she had to leave.

Then the judge ordered Hylton to leave, and two officers began to escort her out of the courtroom as she yelled, including at Sutton and Zabavsky.

Hylton is accused of charging toward a courtroom officer, bumping him with her chest and pushing him with both hands. The officer fell back onto a bench, and Hylton was put in handcuffs.

Two days after Hylton pushed the officer, he went to urgent care because of pain in his chest, the court documents say. His X-rays were negative and he was prescribed a muscle relaxant and naproxen, the active ingredient in Aleve.

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“I couldn’t figure out where the crosswalk was to get across the street, and as I was trying to figure it out, it decided to pour with rain,” she said. “[…] I was like, this is not safe.”

News4 was there on Tuesday when Norman was able to thank the officer and 911 call taker who helped her.

The night that Norman needed help, she called 311 and got transferred to 911.

“I kept apologizing for bothering her,” she recalled. “I’m so sorry to be using city resources, but I don’t really know where I am. I’m lost. I just need to get home.”

Lamaya Wade answered Norman’s call that night. She had only been a 911 call taker for a few months.

“She was actually pretty calm. She just kept saying she was lost and this was her first time calling, and I was just reassuring her, ‘OK, I’ll stay on the phone,’” Wade said.

Wade talked with Norman until Officer Michael Jankowski arrived.

“It was raining pretty bad. She seemed to be in a little bit of distress, but she was very nice, very appreciative,” he said.

Jankowski introduced himself, put Tofu in the back seat and drove them both home.

Wade and Jankowski said they want people in D.C. to take the same lesson from Norman’s experience.

“It’s OK to call 911. We’re here to help,” Wade said.

“We want people to call 911 and feel comfortable calling 911, and any one of my coworkers would have done the same. We’re happy to help,” Jankowski said.

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Norman said she shared her story for another reason.

“A lot of times you only hear bad things about the police or when they do something wrong,” she said. “There’s not enough of our first responders doing things right, and they do way more things right than they do wrong, and that needs to be publicized and showcased. So, I’m glad that I can do that.”

Surveillance camera images caught the shooting outside the Crown gas station at 14th and Euclid streets NW at about 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.

In the video, a person in a ski mask with a gun in his hand, believed to be 17-year-old Lorinzo Thompson, starts firing from near the doorway of the gas station. He fires 12 rounds toward three people on scooters in the parking lot.

Two victims were shot and taken to the hospital. One of them, 14-year-old Niko Estep, did not survive.

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Court documents claim that three days later, Thompson appeared in an Instagram live appearing to brag about the crime while wearing the same Moose Knuckle jacket and Jordan Retro sneakers seen on the gunman in the gas station video. 

In a search of his bedroom, authorities said they uncovered an ammunition magazine of the same caliber as the gun used to kill the victim.

Thompson is being charged as an adult with second-degree murder while armed.

Footage of the killing also shows that the shooter was not alone during the attack. A man in a black jacket with the hood up and a woman with red braids in a white parka stood by and did nothing to intervene, according to court documents. 

The woman also followed the gunman as he rode a scooter onto the parking lot before the shooting and then wheeled his scooter back to a nearby apartment building after the killing. 

That apartment building was later determined to be the suspect’s home address. 

An officer who had arrested the teenager for a prior robbery told detectives that the shooter in the gas station video looked like Thompson, court documents state. He also identified his mother. 

“Officer Whitfield looked at the still shot of the female with red braids for approximately 15-20 seconds before he stated that it looked like Lorenzo [sic] Thompson’s mother,” documents state.  

Thompson, however, is the only person currently charged in Estep’s murder. 

A motive for the deadly gunfire was not immediately revealed. D.C. police said detectives continue to investigate the case, and additional charges would come from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.