Man killed by stray bullet in D.C. apartment among three victims of weekend shootings

D.C. police said a man was killed Sunday evening when a stray bullet flew into his Columbia Heights apartment and mortally wounded him.

Metropolitan Police Executive Assistant Chief Andre Wright said officers received a call for a shooting around 6:20 p.m. in the 1500 block of Ogden Street NW and discovered the victim, who wasn’t identified, while canvassing the area for suspects.

“This is tragic. There’s no doubt about it. Everyone deserves to feel safe, not just in community, but in their residence,” Chief Wright said. “Our hearts and our thoughts go out to this family, to this community, and we intend to get to the bottom of this.”

The chief said no suspects have been identified in the shooting that erupted in a rear alleyway by the apartment complex. The slain man was not the intended target of the shooting, Chief Wright said.

As of Sunday evening, he said investigators had only discovered one errant round had hit the apartment building — the one which fatally struck the victim.

“We can’t shrink in fear,” Chief Wright said. “I think this is what these perpetrators want, but they’re wrong, and so we intend to stand alongside this family and community and bring justice to this community.”

The stray bullet slaying victim was the fourth person gunned down so far during the holiday weekend.

Around 5:45 a.m. Sunday, police said they responded to the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue Northwest for a report of a shooting.

Officers found 26-year-old Benjamin Coleman suffering from gunshot wounds in the area. Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

MPD also said a teenage boy and a 19-year-old man were killed Friday in a Southeast shooting that left another boy fighting for his life.

Police said officers arrived at the 4200 block of 4th Street Southeast to find the three victims lying in the road with gunshot wounds.

Medical personnel tried to save Royell Walker, 16, and Jamar Jackson, 19, but both ended up dying in the street.

Authorities said they rushed a 14-year-old boy to a hospital in life-threatening condition from the scene of the same shooting as well.

Police have not named or identified any suspects in the triple shooting.

MPD data shows 61 homicides recorded in the District so far this year, an 8% decrease from the 66 reported at the same point last year.

Violent crime in the city is down 22% year-over-year.