A large-scale shooting in the Washington Highlands neighborhood earlier this evening has left three people dead and as many as seven others injured.

Several D.C. Police officers reportedly also suffered minor injuries after they crashed a pair of police cruisers during a high speed chase with suspects.

The shooting took place shortly before 7:30 p.m. in the 4000 block of South Capitol Street SE. D.C. Fire/EMS units arrived to what spokesperson Pete Piringer described as a “chaotic scene” with “numerous victims,” all of whom are in their 20s and 30s, expect for one teenager. One victim was declared dead on the scene, he said. Five were transported to nearby hospitals in critical condition, and three others were said to have suffered serious but not life threatening injuries, according to Piringer. FOX 5 is now reporting that two of the critical patients have since died, though no other news outlets have yet to confirm those deaths and the Washington Post confirms. The victims appear to have been a mix of both men and women.

View Massive shooting on S. Capitol St in a larger map

In a possibly related incident, another victim was found shot several blocks away, on Galveston Street SW, a short time later. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

FOX 5 has more from the scene, including that police believe both shootings were drive-bys, and that the shooting of the Galveston Street victim may have come first. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier told the Washington Post that three suspects are in custody after officers chased them into Prince George’s County and back again before they were apprehended. Police have also reportedly recovered at least one weapon.

The shooting constitutes what is probably the most violent incident in the District so far this year. Up until today, there had only been 20 homicides so far in 2010, compared with 31 during the same period in 2009. Last year also marked a 40-year low for killings inside D.C.