Photo by – travis –.

Good morning, Washington. Last night was an incredibly violent one around the District, as four people were killed and five others were seriously injured in various shooting and stabbing incidents in three quadrants. A majority of the shootings took place in the 9 p.m. hour, during which six people were shot. In total between 9 p.m. and midnight., authorities responded to crime scenes on the 1200 block of Brentwood Road NE (two shot), the 900 block of Wahler Place SE (three shot, one fatally), the 700 block of Quincy Street NW (one shot), at 18th Street and Benning Road NE (man stabbed) and on the 700 block of Yuma Street SE (two shot and killed). Police aren’t sure if any of the incidents are connected.

Not The Cherry Blossoms!!!: The Express went all New York Post this morning, though we can’t say we blame them. People are starting to really worry about the effect a government shutdown might have on our local economy: a survey conducted by the Greater Washington Board of Trade notes that 60 percent of the region’s businesses are unprepared for a federal shutdown, while even more are concerned about the potential negative effects it may have on the bottom line. Speaker of the House John Boehner said this morning that Congress shouldn’t be paid if the shutdown comes to pass — seems like the least they could do, considering that Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) is saying that federal workers might not get paid retroactively if the government closes.

Sulaimon Under Oath: It should be an exciting day at the Wilson Building. The highlight: Mary Cheh will hold a hearing at 11 a.m. on the hiring practices of the Gray administration during which both Sulaimon Brown and former Gray chief of staff Gerri Mason Hall are slated to testify. In preparation, one should read Nikita Stewart’s piece on Gray campaign chairwoman Lorraine Green — Hall’s mentor whose name should pop up plenty during today’s hearing — and her role as the person who allegedly got the Sulaimon Brown scandal rolling.

More Dirt On Kwame: In the Examiner, Freeman Klopott reports that Kwame Brown’s campaign finance issues don’t end with his 2008 reelection campaign — in fact, payments by Brown’s campaign to businesses owned by his brother Che and others close to him date back to 2004. Meanwhile, Mike DeBonis looks into the negative effect that the Brown audit might have on interim Councilmember Sekou Biddle’s campaign to win the seat permanently come April 26. Brown’s father Marshall is currently a paid worker in Biddle’s campaign.

Briefly Noted: D.C. and Maryland apply for high speed rail funding, Virginia backs out…U.S. Army fighting war against allegies…Not everyone’s excited about the underground Dulles Metro station…Why does the Examiner refuse to recognize Park View?

This Day in DCist: Last year, D.C. Public Schools and the Washington Teachers’ Union finally came to an agreement on a new contract, and I wondered whether I was the only person to have a good time at last year’s Opening Day.