Nine people were shot and wounded, including two juveniles, early Wednesday morning at a July 4th celebration in Washington, D.C., police said.
Just before 1 a.m., police responded to a report of a shooting on the 4700 block of Meade Street, a residential block in the northeastern part of the city, Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons said in a statement on Twitter.
When they arrived at the scene, officers discovered multiple shooting victims, including a 9-year-old and a 17-year old, Parsons said.
Several victims were transported to local hospitals by D.C. Fire and EMS while others chose to transport themselves. None of the injuries suffered are considered to be life-threatening, Parsons said.
A dark-colored SUV was seen driving through the neighborhood before it stopped and then shot at the victims, who were outside enjoying the July 4th holiday, Parsons said.
“It appears that the shooting was targeted,” Parsons said.
It was not immediately clear if there was more than one shooter inside the vehicle and no arrests have been made, according to Parsons.
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July 4th plagued by shootings once again
The Washington, D.C. shooting is the latest in a string of violent incidents across the country over the holiday weekend.
By early morning on the Fourth of July, public gun violence had claimed at least 10 lives and injured dozens more across the country over the long holiday weekend.
The nation has witnessed an average of five mass shootings on Independence Day over the past decade − more than on any other day of the year.
July 4th shootings:At least 10 dead amid public gun violence in US cities over long weekend
Multiple shooters opened fire at a crowded block party in Baltimore early Sunday, killing two people and wounding 28.
Philadelphia police were searching for a motive Tuesday after a heavily armed gunman went on an apparently random rampage that left five people dead wounded two juveniles, including a 2-year-old and a 13-year-old.
President Joe Biden responded to the violence with a statement Tuesday. In part, he said: “Today, Jill and I grieve for those who have lost their lives and, as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities will be free from gun violence.”
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY
