An active shooter was observed running loose in DC and posted a video of himself shooting individuals indiscriminately to an anonymous imageboard on 4chan.
Authorities had reported that at least four individuals have been shot. They include one adult male, two adult females, and a 12-year-old girl. Another victim, a woman in her 60s, “suffered a graze wound to her back.”
7:54 pm Update: There are 4 total victims in this shooting incident. 2 adult females, 1 adult male, and a juvenile (12 year-old) female. The additional adult female victim is in her 60’s and suffered a graze wound to the back.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) April 22, 2022
The shooter posted the video online using the name “Raymond Spencer” on the 4chan post and referred to the shooting as a school shooting.
Nearby schools and universities were quickly placed on lockdown after shots were fired.
“Dear God please forgive me,” the poster wrote after uploading the video.
#BREAKING: New video showing the POV of the ‘active shooter’
New video was posted on a website called 4chan reportedly showing the POV of the ‘active shooter’ incident filmed by the suspect showing themselves shooting indiscriminately. pic.twitter.com/TY2ERgag8l
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 22, 2022
#BREAKING: New video showing the POV of the ‘active shooter’#Washington | #DC
Video was posted on a website called 4chan reportedly showing the POV of the ‘active shooter’ incident filmed by the suspect showing themselves shooting indiscriminately. Police are still asking… pic.twitter.com/jvHtun2lq2
— Mockingjay.BackUp (@Mockingjay8911) April 22, 2022
“The location of this incident is 2900 block of Van Ness Street, NW. Police are in the area conducting active sweeps. Residents in the Cleveland Park and Van Ness area should shelter in place,” the DC Metropolitan Police tweeted.
The Assistant Chief, Stuart Emerman made a statement during a press conference that while the girl sustained “a minor gunshot wound” the adults were currently in critical condition.
NBC News reported that the victims had been stabilized at nearby hospitals.
Nearby residents were informed to take shelter as police evacuated the apartment building where the shots were suspected to have been fired from.
Later on, police were observed taking a man into custody nearby the scene of the shootings, but still had not yet lifted the “active threat” warning.
“Authorities were interviewing several witnesses but had no one in custody, they said about 5:40 p.m. Friday. Officers were seen escorting a man in handcuffs about an hour earlier, but an assistant police chief later said no one was in custody,” NBC Washington reports.
Emerman said that he had been detained for questioning because he was seen fleeing the scene.
“At this point we do not have any suspects in custody,” he said. “We are interviewing several witnesses. As would naturally happen during an incident like this, several individuals ran from the area, so we did stop several individuals to conduct witness investigations with them.”
“If they are not linked to the incident, yes, they will be released,” Emerman said.
WATCH: Here’s the moment police led a man away from the Northwest D.C. shooting scene in handcuffs.
It is unclear if he is who D.C. Police have identified as the alleged shooter. The scene is still labeled as an “active threat”https://t.co/5NdcxQGzqw pic.twitter.com/Gl8iznKcnj
— 7News DC (@7NewsDC) April 22, 2022
VAN NESS SHOOTING: Two adults and a girl have been shot in Northwest D.C., police say. A swarm of officers in tactical gear, some with guns drawn, were seen running along Connecticut Avenue NW. https://t.co/VMDogp3l2Y pic.twitter.com/owMRxjTK2d
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) April 22, 2022
MPD is seeking the below person of interest in connection to the shooting in the 2900 block of Van Ness Street, NW. This individual is 23 year-old Raymond Spencer of Fairfax, Virginia. pic.twitter.com/ziR0Vutw0p
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) April 22, 2022
Updates provided shared that police were searching for 23-year-old Raymond Spencer of Fairfax, VA as a person of interest in the shooting and that later in the day, the same suspect was found dead and police since lifted the shelter in place order.
The suspect has been located deceased inside of a residence in the area of Conn Ave and Van Ness St, NW.
The shelter in place has now ended.
Thank you to our community for your cooperation and thank you to our DC government and federal partners for your assistance today.
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) April 23, 2022
