Investigation Continues After Shooting Near Campus
Image courtesy of Patrick D. Lewis.
By Patrick D. Lewis
Police are continuing to investigate a non-contact shooting that led to a police search of the southeast part of Campus last Thursday.
The shooting occurred in the 700 block of Monroe St., NE, on the Brookland Arts Walk. No one was hit in the incident that police say happened during a dispute between multiple people in the area.
Responding Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police officers believed the suspect may have fled towards campus or the Brookland-CUA Metro stop, prompting a shelter-in-place order for campus. Campus Police officers joined MPD and MTPD officers in searching some areas of campus but did not locate the suspect.
Owen Hyatt, a computer science major, was in Pangborn Hall when he was confronted by armed law enforcement officers during the search.
In a text message, Hyatt said, “A group of cops made their way into one of the front doors of Pangborn. There were four cops who entered, and the one at the front was holding a riot shield. The others had their guns. Immediately, I saw this and panicked. I was standing directly in their line of sight, and in my panic, I had turned away from them and begin trying to walking away, which likely raised suspicions. They begin to yell at me as soon as I was spotted. They told me to stay turned around and to raise my hands. I did so slowly, and my heart was racing.”
Hyatt said the officers “asked me to slowly walk backwards towards them,” which he did. “They yelled at me to move faster as my hands remained up and I made my way to the door. Once I got there, my heart truly begin to race as I saw their equipment and the look on their faces. They seemed to quickly recognize that I was not, in fact, the threat. They asked me where I was and what I was doing, which I shared begrudgingly, as I was a little embarrassed of how I responded to the situation. Nonetheless, they did not detain me or anything related, and motioned to another officer to direct me on which way to go as they entered Pangborn fully. At this point, I was directed by a few officers to make my way onto Michigan Avenue, which I did as quickly as I could to get away from the area.”
In an email, University Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Emergency Management and Chief of Campus Police Kirk McLean said the incident “was unfortunate and alarming largely because our campus is situated in such a charming community.” However, he continued, “the incident serves as a reminder that even in the safest of neighborhoods, remaining vigilant and aware is crucial. I am most proud of the way that our University community quickly responded and took the necessary steps to shelter during the active investigation. Because of their responsiveness, that allowed campus police and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to be even more effective in the search and safety efforts. Thankfully, the situation concluded without any harm to any of our members.”
D.C. Police are leading the investigation into the shooting. MPD spokesperson Lee Lepe said Monday that no arrests had been made so far. A bullet shell casing and two live rounds were found at the scene, according to a police report.
