ARSENAL OF WEAPONS
Edmund Burke School shooting ‘suspect’ Raymond Spencer, 23, ‘found DEAD with guns & ammo stashed in sniper type setup’
A SUSPECT in the Edmund Burke School shooting rampage that left four people injured has been found dead, possibly by suicide, DC Police said.
Officials are continuing to investigate the "sniper type setup" recorded in a horror Twitter video. Victims were on the streets, going about their business when they were , cops said.
11
11
11
11
11
Police "believe that the suspect took his own life" as they closed in on his location in , they said at a press conference. It was also confirmed that they are no longer seeking a person of interest.
Raymond Spencer, the person of interest in the shooting, is believed to be the person cops found on the fifth floor of a nearby apartment building, Reuters reports.
Officials recovered at least six firearms, several long guns, multiple rounds of ammunition, and handguns from the apartment where the suspect was located.
Video captured the sound of the horrifying gunfire around 3.20pm near Edmund Burke School, injuring a juvenile and leaving two adults in critical condition, cops said. A fourth victim has also been identified by cops.
READ MORE WASHINGTON DC STORIES
The shooting led to a massive police response with officers escorting residents from nearby buildings, some running to safety.
Washington DC Metro said two adult males and one juvenile female were injured in the shooting.
The two adult victims - a 54-year-old man and a woman in her mid-30s - are in critical but stable condition. One of the victims is a retired cop, police confirmed. The juvenile victim is suffering from a minor gunshot wound, officials said.
A fourth victim was described as a female in her mid-60s. She was treated at the scene after suffering from a graze wound, cops said.
Most read in The Sun
The "hope and understanding" is that all of the victims will survive, DC officials said at an initial press conference.
A motive for the shooting remains unknown and officers said they believe the gunman acted alone.
Police have not confirmed the type of weapon used despite videos capturing the sound of the gunfire.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday night, officials said it "appears the person was shooting randomly," adding that many more lives could have been lost.
Officials said a social media video circulating claiming to be of the shooting looked "very much to be authentic."
They were still investigating if the footage was streamed live or posted after being recorded.
"This was very much a sniper-type set up with a tripod and this person, obviously his intent was to kill and hurt members of our community," police said.
Officers were going door-to-door in the area while they urgently hunted for a suspect.
"Several people, naturally, ran from the scene after hearing gunshots and as the officers responded very quickly to the scene, as individuals were running, we did detain several individuals to determine their status," officials said immediately following the shooting.
They believe the gunfire was in the "immediate area"; of the school but are working to confirm exactly what occurred.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has responded to assist DC Metro police. Secret Service agents also deployed to the scene.
The school had initially been placed on lockdown while the incident unfolded. Police were in the school with students and assisted with getting them to safety.
Howard University and the University of DC also issued shelter in place orders following the incident, asking students and staff to "take shelter and stay in place until further notice."
PERSON OF INTEREST
Two hours before announcing the shooting suspect was found dead, cops held a 7.30pm news conference and named Spencer, of Fairfax, Virginia, a person of interest.
Police requested that he turn himself in for questioning after his name appeared in social media posts referencing the shooting.
"His name came up through some of the social media things that we have seen so far," officials said.
"Again, we want to have a conversation with him, we want to figure out what's going on, if he is involved in this or not in any way, shape or form.
"We don't know if he is in the area, we are working to determine if he is or is not."
'EXTREMELY TENSE'
Footage from the scene showed law enforcement officials with their guns drawn escorting people away from the area near Edmund Burke.
Neighbors were seen being led out of a Van Ness Street apartment building in a single file line by police.
It was described as a extremely tense situation as other residents were seen running alongside officers to safety.
Witnesses at the scene told that they saw people running around, hiding under cars when the shooting occurred.
Officials said it is "very possible" that bullet holes found in stores and vehicles nearby could be related to the gunfire.
'HEARTBREAKING DAY'
Mayor Muriel Bowser, who was present for the press conferences throughout the afternoon and evening, released a letter on her website, calling Friday a "heartbreaking day for our community."
"Unfortunately, tonight, I looked into the eyes of parents who were terrified, and they were terrified thinking of what might happen to their children.
"This epidemic of gun violence in our country, the easy access to firearms — it has got to stop."
Bowser went on to state that while students and residents were sheltering in place, multiple other shootings occurred throughout the city.
"People should not be scared taking their children to school. People should not be scared sitting in their cars when they run errands. People should not be scared standing outside their homes and talking to neighbors," she wrote.
Bowser thanked first responders, police officers, and federal partners who rushed to the scene, as well as investigators who worked to quickly identify the suspect.
She also called the day "stressful and traumatic," and made residents aware of resources available to help them.
Certified clinicians are available to help through the DC Department of Behavioral Health’s mental health hotline at 1-888-793-4357.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The US Sun
The shelter in place was called off by DC Police as of 9:45pm local time.
All road closures were lifted but residents were told to expect residual delays in the area.
11
11
11
11
11
11
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The US Sun team?
Email us at [email protected] or call 212 416 4552.
Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at
Topics