A man was killed Friday night inside an apartment house near the NoMa area of the District in what appeared to be the city’s third slaying in almost four weeks, a rate even lower than earlier weeks, which had seen a sharp decline.
The victim in the Friday night killing was fatally shot in an apartment in the 300 block of Morse Street NE, the police said. Neither the victim’s identity nor the motive for his killing could be immediately learned.
Police said several people apparently fled the scene of the shooting. Video posted online showed people in law enforcement uniforms emerging from a luxury building on Morse Street. The location is near both the Union Market and NoMa areas.
On Nov. 8, three people were slain in the city in a single day in separate incidents. Since then, including Friday night’s slaying, the rate has declined to three in 27 days.
One of those three was what authorities described as the targeted killing of Spec. Sarah Beckstrom, a National Guard member shot Nov. 26 while patrolling near the Farragut West metro station. A second guard member was critically wounded in that shooting. A suspect has been arrested.
In a Nov. 19 killing, Tyrone Kearney, 31, was fatally shot in the 1200 block of Valley Avenue SE. No information could be learned about a motive or suspects.
In Friday night’s incident, officers went to the 300 block of Morse Street after gunshots were reported. They found a man who had been fatally shot and said he died at the scene. Police gave no age other than to say he was an adult.
Police said they were looking for four or five people who fled on foot. No description was provided.
The building apparently involved was opened with more than 500 units four years ago. It is part of a wave of redevelopment in the neighborhood, which is a few blocks east of the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues, and also east of the Metro Red Line tracks.
Records indicate that the Nov. 8 killings brought to about 20 the number of homicides in the city in the more than three months since President Donald Trump called for a surge in law enforcement personnel in the District.
Even with Friday night’s killing included, it appears that recent weeks have brought an even steeper decline in the rate of homicides here since the president’s announcement.
In addition, three people have been fatally shot by police since the surge began.
Based on available D.C. police records the total number of homicides in the city this year is 125, a decline of about 30 percent since this time last year. It is not clear that fatal shootings by police are included.
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