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The sounds of gunfire rang out across the Shaw neighborhood Wednesday evening, leaving one man with a bullet graze injury to the head. WJLA picked up a tiny fragment of the story, but more information was on offer via messages to community email lists from the MPD’s Third District Commander, Inspector Jacob Kishter. Kishter reported that D.C. police responded to the sounds of gunshots at approximately 5:30 p.m. near the corner of 7th and O Streets NW, and then shortly after that, while officers were searching for a possible shooter, more gunshots could be heard at 5th and O Streets NW.

Then just a couple hours later, at approximately 8:15 p.m., an adult male was grazed with a bullet as a result of gunfire in the 1700 block of 7th Street NW, not far from the entrance to the Shaw Metro station. This shooting, according to Kishter, went down despite the fact that officers were in the exact same block at the time. The patrol officers had been placed in that location ever since Sunday, when gunfire was heard at 8th and S Streets NW. No injuries were reported in that earlier incident.

All of this adds up to an extremely worrisome situation for Shaw residents (of which this author is one). The locations of the earlier gunfire on Wednesday, at 7th and O and 5th and O, immediately bring to mind the on again, off again beef between the two gangs associated with those corners. Whether the bullets flying near the Metro stop are related, we don’t yet know, but the last few days have certainly marked the return of gun violence to the neighborhood.

Kishter said the grazing victim from last night was transported to an area hospital in stable condition. The victim is going to be charged with a drug offense, he said.

Anyone with information about this shooting is encouraged to call MPD at 202-727-9099.