Screen capture of speeding car — so fast, it’s only a blur of lights.

Petworth saw some more shootings on Monday. Three were reported starting with a shooting in the alley near Randolph and Georgia Avenue NW, then another at 8th and Buchanan involving a car chase, followed by another at 13th and Madison NW. It seems there’s been little abatement to the gun crime that has been an additional stress for the entire community.

Near Grant Circle on Monday evening, May 25th, the sound of gunshots was first reported around 10pm, though some think it may have been fireworks. What surely wasn’t fireworks took place around 11pm Monday night along 8th and Buchanan Streets NW.

Cars were seen speeding up the 4700 block of 8th Street NW, sideswiping parked cars until eventually crashing into a car near Crittenden Street. A gun was then fired multiple times.

It was caught on a reader’s security camera — turn the volume up and you’ll hear the collision and two gunshots at the end of the footage.

According to MPD Fourth District Commander Randy Griffin, patrol officers heard the gunshots and responded. When they arrived on the 4700 block of 8th Street, officers observed the remains of a collision. They found no one — no shooting victims and no involved on the scene. “While investigating, we learned that one of the vehicles had been reported stolen from the Second District,” Griffin said.

A US Park Police helicopter flew over the neighborhood for more than 30 minutes, clearly searching for suspects.

However, according to Commander Griffin, no one was apprehended or arrested, and they recovered the stolen vehicle.

Generally speaking, if you see a helicopter circling the neighborhood, it’s likely the Park Police’s “Eagle 2” doing the flying, as they respond to MPD and Arlington and Alexandria for overflight assistance. If you see a red light glowing on the front of the helicopter, that usually means they’re using the FLIR infrared camera to look for suspects on the ground (as opposed to the large search light). #TheMoreYouKnow

What can you do about this crime?
Not much. But you CAN reach out to the DC Council and ask them (via submitting testimony) to put more money toward crime intervention, as this year’s budget pulls money away from such programs. Local ANC Commissioner Jonah Goodman, who has been chronicling the violence in a document for a few years now, has a Google document that details what you can do, with examples of what you can say, to submit to the Council along with other useful suggestions.