Washington shooting suspect found dead
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Raymond Spencer, 23, was suspected of shooting three adults and a child in the Van Ness neighborhood in Northwest D.C.
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Police evacuate the scene on Friday in Van Ness (AP)
After the US had 3 shootings over Easter weekend, the suspect accused of killing three people and a kid in the Van Ness district of Northwest D.C. on Friday afternoon was discovered dead in an apartment building in the vicinity.
At about 7:30 pm, police recognized Raymond Spencer, 23, of Fairfax, Virginia, as a person of interest.
The next media briefing will be held at 7:30 pm at Connecticut Avenue and Porter Street, NW. The briefing will be live-streamed on our Twitter account.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) April 22, 2022
Read more: US statistics 2022: 140+ mass shootings, 5 mass murders so far
According to sources close to the inquiry, he was discovered dead in the bathroom of the AVA Van Ness apartment complex. Chief of Police Robert Contee stated that they are no longer searching for a person of interest. There are no additional suspects, according to police.
“We believe the suspect took his own life as MPD officers were entering or breaching the apartment where the suspect was located,” Contee said.
According to the Chief, the setup was very much a "sniper-type", citing that the suspect's intent was to kill members of the community.
Six firearms were discovered in the apartment as well as ammunition rounds.
The gunshots occurred at 3:20 pm, prompting a large police reaction and the closure of schools. Officers in tactical gear were spotted sprinting through the neighborhood, as others with their firearms drawn evacuated tenants of an apartment complex on Van Ness Street NW.
At about 5:40 pm on Friday, Authorities announced that they were interrogating multiple witnesses. Officers were spotted carrying a handcuffed individual approximately an hour earlier, but an assistant police chief subsequently stated that no one was in custody.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service, as well as FBI agents, were spotted responding to the scene. Helicopters may be seen flying overhead.
Three victims were taken to the hospital and are being treated for their wounds.
Mayor Muriel Bowser stated that parents were "terrified thinking about what might happen to their children. And we have experienced this too much in our country. the epidemic of gun violence, the easy access to weapons has got to stop. People should not be scared of taking their children to school.”
One father said "we are literally ducking and hiding," as his child was sheltered inside Edmund Burke private school.
Another father of two students called the event "the worst nightmare any parent can have."
