Man Killed in Apartment by Stray Bullet in Memorial Day Weekend Shooting
A man was killed by a stray bullet while inside his apartment in the Northwest quadrant of Washington D.C. on Sunday evening, police said.
The victim was found with a gunshot wound around 6:20 p.m. He died at the scene, despite emergency efforts to save him.
The incident was one of four homicides that occurred in the District over a three-day span. Among the others were the fatal shootings of 16-year-old Royell Walker and 19-year-old Jamar Jackson in Southeast Washington on Friday night, as well as another man who was killed early Sunday on Georgia Avenue NW.
These killings came on the heels of a violent stretch in which nine people were killed over nine days-including two Israeli Embassy employees shot on Wednesday-bringing the total number of homicides to 13 in just 13 days, an unusually high rate for the city.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) rushed to a home after receiving reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they discovered an adult man inside the apartment suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics worked quickly to try to save him, but despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
"This does not appear to be a targeted shooting," MPD Executive Assistant Chief Andre Wright said during a media briefing. "It appears, preliminarily, that this was a stray round that struck his residence and subsequently struck him."
Authorities believe the bullet was fired from behind the apartment building, hitting the structure only once. The incident is being investigated as a homicide. No suspects had been identified as of Monday morning.
The violence in the nation's capital mirrored a broader pattern of Memorial Day weekend shootings nationwide. In South Carolina, at least 11 people were hospitalized after gunfire erupted near a boat dock in the town of Little River, about 20 miles north of Myrtle Beach. A North Myrtle Beach police officer accidentally shot himself in the leg while responding to the scene and was hospitalized in stable condition.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the number of shooters involved in the South Carolina incident or any motive, but said it appeared to be an isolated event.
MPD Executive Assistant Chief Andre Wright said during a media briefing on Sunday: "This is a great city, a free city, and the vast majority of the people in [the] community feel safe and they walk in love and in partnership with each other and with this agency."
Demetrius B., a longtime D.C. resident, reacted to the news on social media: "Summer's almost here! Wild how the city council just sits on its hands while this is happening. I wonder what the magic number of murders is that will finally get them to act."
Nationwide, more than 5,700 people have died from gun-related incidents so far in 2025, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The figure includes accidental discharges and defensive uses of firearms. Gun violence continues to spur heated debate over gun control, though federal responses remain gridlocked.
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