WASHINGTON (WDVM/News Nation) — A dispute that erupted into gun fire during a large outdoor party in Washington, D.C., early Sunday left one person dead and some 20 others injured, including an off-duty officer “struggling for her life,” according to police.At least 20 people were shot after multiple shooters opened fire on an outdoor gathering in southeast Washington, D.C. early Sunday morning, police said.
Christopher Brown, 17, died in the shooting that occurred after midnight in a southeast side neighborhood where people had gathered for music and food, Peter Newsham, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters.
“There was some kind of a dispute,” Newsham said. “Multiple weapons were produced.”
Police said at least three shooters may have been involved, though no arrests were immediately announced. Newsham said a motive for the shooting wasn’t clear.
Fellow officers took the injured off-duty officer to a local hospital.
“She’s struggling for her life right now,” he said. He added that “the rest of the gunshot wounds, as far as we know, are non-life-threatening.”
There may have been hundreds of attendees at the party despite city restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic on such large gatherings.
“We can’t tolerate these types of gatherings in our city during COVID-19,” Newsham said. “It’s just too dangerous.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaking to reporters near the scene of the shooting, noted that public drinking and marijuana use outside were prohibited, as were gatherings of more than 50 people as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus.
“It’s very important that as a community we have a zero-tolerance for this activity,” she said. Bowser added that police will have to make some “difficult decisions” and “break up these events.”
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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