Around Brookland for September 18

By Patrick D. Lewis

September 20 Is Ward 5 Day

D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker, representing Ward 5, will sponsor “Ward 5 Day” on Saturday, September 20. Festivities will be from 12-5 p.m. at Turkey Thicket Rec Center at 1100 Michigan Ave., NE. There will be music, games, food, giveaways, and music featuring well-known D.C. artist Sugar Bear and his group, Experience Unlimited (E.U.). Learn more here.

Woman Arrested For July Shooting

The Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Marshals Service have arrested 26-year-old Saphire Johnson of Bowie, MD, in connection with a July 12, 2025 shooting in the 3900 block of 12th St., NE. The shooting left an adult male injured. Johnson is charged with Assault With Intent to Kill and Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. She shot the victim following an altercation, court documents allege.

Brookland Walking Tours Offered Friday and Saturday

Events DC will continue its week of Brookland walking tours with three walks on Friday and Saturday:

Friday, September 19, 12:00 p.m. “We Are Still Here: Deaf Native Presence in DC.”
Friday, September 19, 5:30 p.m. “Touring the Trees Brookland Can’t Live Without.”
Saturday, September 20, 10:00 a.m. “A Walk Through Time in Brookland.”

Learn more here.

ICE Activity Continues in Brookland

Councilmember Parker’s office reported ICE activity in the neighborhood on Thursday, Sept. 11, and federal law enforcement officers and helicopters continue to be spotted in the area. President Donald Trump’s D.C. emergency order has now expired and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she does not plan to continue to cooperate with immigration efforts, but federal agents are still able to operate independently.

Woodridge Library To Screen Films

Woodridge Neighborhood Library on Sunday, Sept. 21, will screen “American Symphony” at 2:00 p.m. The event will include light refreshments. The movie “highlights a year in the life of musician Jon Batiste and his wife’s struggle with leukemia,” according to Library Associate Maria P. Jones. The event is for ages 19+. Then, on Sept. 22 at 5:00 p.m., the library will screen “In The Heights” and host a discussion of the film afterwards. The library is located at 1801 Hamlin St., NE.