Yonathan Melaku, the former Marine reservist who taken into custody in connection to shootings at five military sites around Virginia last fall, reportedly attempted to escape from his cell last week. more ›

Yonathan Melaku, a 22-year-old reservist who was taken into custody after engaging in suspicious activity at Arlington National Cemetery last Friday, will be charged in connection with five shootings at military sites around Virginia last fall. more ›

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating overnight shootings near Howard University and in Petworth. Two men were shot in the 600 block of Harvard Street, NW early Saturday. One of the victims died from his injuries. Officers also responded to a shooting at around 10:15 Saturday in the 4000 block of 4th Street, NW. The victim was transported to a local hospital. more ›

A man riding a bicycle was shot and critically injured Tuesday afternoon in Marvin Gaye Park, WRC/NBC4 reports. The shooting took place around 1 p.m. Tuesday, not far from the park entrance at Fitch Place and Division Avenue NE. The victim was reportedly shot in the head. No word from police on any suspect or motive in the case so far. more ›

WTOP is reporting that D.C. Police have arrested a suspect in the murder of Alonte Sutton. more ›

A teenager was shot on a Metrobus shortly after at 5 p.m. this evening, police say. The victim, a young man, was reportedly shot by another passenger while aboard a U2 bus that was near 18th St. and Minnesota Ave. SE. No other passengers have been reported injured. Metro Transit Police say the victim was shot in the left wrist and right side, and he was medevaced to Washington Hospital Center with life-threatening injuries. D.C. police are investigating. more ›

A fifth suspect has been arrested in connection with the deadly Mar. 30 shootings on South Capitol Street, D.C. police announced Monday. Jeffrey D. Best, 21, was taken into custody just before 9 a.m. this morning, according to a news release. more ›

The Washington Post's Clarence Williams and Paul Duggan are reporting that authorities may be considering dropping charges filed against the 14-year-old boy who was believed to be involved in the deadly March 30 shooting on South Capitol Street.

The full extent of the trouble with the case remains unclear, but one problem concerns insufficient evidence that the teenager was involved in the attack at all, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. more ›

As residents and city officials grapple with one of the deadliest crimes ever in the District, one local candidate was quick to use Tuesday night's mass shooting on South Capitol Street as part of his campaign for elected office. more ›

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

Cara Cottle, the girlfriend of well known goth scenester Dirk Smiler, has been arrested and charged with Smiler's murder, the Washington Post reports. Smiler, 37, was fatally shot in his Annandale home on Feb. 15. Cottle surrendered to Fairfax County police shortly after noon today, according to the Post. She's schedule to be arraigned Wednesday morning. more ›

An adult male was shot at about 2 p.m. this afternoon in the vicinity of the Shaw/Howard Univ. Metro station. more ›

WMATA's rail alert system reports that the Pentagon Metro station and the bus transit center have reopened. Only the north entrance to the Metro station is open at this time. Buses that were rerouted to Pentagon City will resume service to Pentagon. more ›

Via the Post's Breaking News blog, a YouTube video from 2006 has turned up of alleged Pentagon shooter John Patrick Bedell, in which he lays out a online software product he invented called "Information Currency." With the use of crude stick figure diagrams, he describes a vague process that will "create a financial market for information." more ›

The Pentagon Metro station is closed at this hour after a shooting took place outside the station entrance. more ›

Remember Lankward Harrington, the D.C. man who was finally convicted last fall of killing a landscaper in 2006? He's the one who admitted shooting Jose Villatoro four times, in broad daylight, just because his lawn trimmer had kicked up some grass on Harrington's clothes and hair as he walked by. Well Harrington, 25, has been sentenced to 61 years in prison for the crime, the AP reports (via WTOP). The length of the sentence handed down by D.C. Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Alprin is well above sentencing guidelines. more ›

WJLA/ABC7 is reporting that the teenager who was found shot and killed in the 800 block of Barnaby Street SE last night was the brother of Calvin Woodland, who is currently serving as chief-of-staff to Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham. The 18-year-old victim, whose name is also Calvin Woodland, was reportedly shot seven times, according to his brother. more ›

D.C. police are investigating a fatal shooting that took place Wednesday afternoon, not far from the Deanwood Metro station. more ›

Just breaking now from the Associated Press (via NPR): James Von Brunn, the white supremacist who shot and killed security guard Stephen Johns at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in June, has died. more ›

WTTG/FOX5 reminds us that it's been a year since Durval Martins was shot dead at the corner of 11th and Q streets NW, and police still have no ideas about who is responsible. more ›

What's with all the pit bull shootings lately? The Washington Post is reporting that an officer with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority fatally shot two pit bulls at Dulles International Airport earlier today. One of the dogs reportedly got loose from its kennel and attacked the other, and after officers were unable to break up the fight with pepper spray, they ended up shooting them. Police are investigating the incident. more ›

A man is in police custody this afternoon after shots were fired at the Woodbridge campus of Northern Virginia Community College in Prince William County, the Washington Post is reporting. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported. more ›

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The medical bills of James von Brunn, the man charged with murdering security guard Stephen T. Johns at the National Holocaust Museum in June, tally a whopping $55,050 to date, according to the Associated Press. A Freedom of Information Act request to the D.C. Department of Corrections by the AP revealed that von Brunn -- who was shot by museum guards after opening fire and subsequently treated at George Washington University Hospital -- is still recovering from his wounds and other chronic ailments. von Brunn has been charged with first-degree murder, related hate crimes and gun offenses, and is currently being held without bail in U.S. Bureau of Prisons custody. The next hearing in his case is scheduled for Monday. more ›

The man who was arrested and charged in the Nov. 14 killing of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes has been found dead inside his cell in the D.C. Jail, according to a report from WTTG/FOX5. Josue Pena, 26, had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Fuentes, who died after being shot through the door of his Columbia Heights apartment. The Washington Post reported earlier that paramedics had been called to the jail for a call of an unconscious inmate this afternoon. WTTG says Pena was found hanged inside his cell just after 1 p.m. He was pronounced dead later at Howard University Hospital, with the cause of death determined to be cardiac arrest by asphyxiation. The report also includes these details:

Pena told prosecutors he had a gun in his waist band, but it accidently went off as he walked up the stairs. more ›

One of two suspects sought in the Nov. 7 killing of shopkeeper Rufina Hernandez has been arrested, D.C. police announced last night. Andres Lopez, 45, of no fixed address was taken into custody without incident on Thursday afternoon near 4th and Kennedy Streets NW, only about five blocks from La Casa de Morata liquor store. Hernandez was shot and killed that Saturday night during the course of a robbery. Two suspects are believed to have entered the store and demanded money, a request with which Hernandez complied, but one of the suspects shot her anyway. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier declined to indicate whether Lopez is believed to be the shooter, but reiterated that the search for the second suspect continues. "We look forward to getting help from the community," Lanier said. "There is still work to do." more ›

The fatal shooting of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes inside his Columbia Heights apartment on Saturday night was not gang-related, according to D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier. Lanier, along with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham, this morning announced the arrest of Josue Pena, 26, in the killing. Pena has been charged with first degree murder. more ›

As we noted in the Morning Roundup, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier are making their way to the 1400 block of Columbia Rd. NW right now in order to announce that an arrest has been made in the killing of 9-year-old Oscar Fuentes. The Post says the man who was arrested is Josue Pena, 26, who was taken into custody in Hyattsville just before 6 a.m. this morning. No more details on the arrest are available just yet, but check back in after the 10 a.m. press conference. more ›

D.C. Police say they are investigating two fatal shootings that happened overnight in Northeast. more ›

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Mayor Adrian Fenty announced Wednesday that they have doubled the reward money, to $50,000, for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the two gunmen who shot and killed 17-year-old Kenyetta Nicholson-Stanley on Oct. 8. Nicholson-Stanley was shot while standing in a playground in the 500 block of Edgewood Street NE, and was merely a bystander. The suspects are believed to have been targeting a security guard who worked in the Edgewood Terrace apartments. more ›