One Dead, Three Injured In Shooting Near Caribbean Festival

Washington, DC - Four people were shot in a hail of bullets on Gresham Place in Northwest Saturday, just blocks from where the Caribbean Festival was taking place.

Police say at least three of the victims were innocent bystanders--possibly caught in the middle of a battle between neighborhood crews. The fourth victim, who ran from the scene, is being interviewed.

Witnesses describe a scene of pure chaos. People running for cover --and trying to find family members as someone unloads more than 20 shots in the intersection of Gresham Place and Georgia Avenue.

All Dexter Alexander could think about was making sure his family was okay.

"I went back to the car, and they were nearby and doing fine," Alexander said.

Edith Ramberan thought it sounded like firecrackers. It was actually automatic gunfire.

"People started stampeding. I tued down a side street to get away," Ramberan said.

Officers on duty for the Caribbean festival got to the scene quickly--and found three shooting victims at Gresham Place and Georgia Avenue, a fourth at Georgia Avenue and Columbia.

"We believe three of the four are innocent bystanders," Assistant Police Chief Diane Groomes says.

Three of the victims are in stable condition. The fourth is in extremely critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head.
Evidence of the street fight was everywhere--more than 21 pieces-- tagged and photographed.

Right now investigators don't think the shooting had anything to do with the festival-- more likely--a neighborhood dispute.

"We have a lot of people who are cooperating and telling us what they saw, " Groomes says. "Unfortunately this is a hot area for crew disputes."

The parade route was actually shortened to keep visitors out of the trouble spots, but it couldn't prevent the violence.

Police believe some people in the crowd most likely captured some of the action on their cell phone cameras. If you have a picture that could help, they're hoping you'll send it to them.