Two shot during attempted robbery in Washington as federal crackdown looms; arrests in Northeast D.C.
Two victims wounded in a gunpoint robbery in Northeast Washington; a 17-year-old suspect from Suitland, Md., arrested. The incidents unfold as federal law enforcement is deployed in the capital and local leaders question the approach.
Two people were wounded during an attempted robbery in Northeast Washington, D.C., Saturday night, police said. The suspect, a 17-year-old male from Suitland, Maryland, was arrested Sunday and charged with assault with intent to rob.
Investigators say the suspect tried to rob a victim at gunpoint, and the two were shot after a struggle over the firearm. The victims were found injured within a few streets of each other and were transported to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening wounds, authorities said.
The Washington Post reported that, over the weekend, two stabbings, a carjacking and five other robberies were reported between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The incidents occurred as President Donald Trump sent in National Guard troops and federal agents to crack down on crime in the capital, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from district leaders who say the approach is ineffective and undermines resident trust.
“Sending masked agents in unmarked cars to pick people up off the streets; flooding our neighborhoods with armed national guardsmen untrained in local policing; attempting a federal takeover of our police force — none of these are durable, lasting solutions for driving down crime,” said D.C. Attorney General Brad Schwalb at a House Oversight hearing last week. “In fact, this threatens to destroy critical trust between local communities and police, which is essential to effective, efficient policing and prosecution.”
Prior to the deployment, crime in D.C. had fallen to a multi-decade low, and officials say the crackdown coincided with a reduction in homicides, though supporters and critics alike have noted shifts in different crime metrics and annual patterns.
The weekend violence, including the shooting in Northeast D.C., comes as lawmakers and residents weigh the costs and benefits of federal involvement in local policing. Some officials argue that the presence of federal agents helps deter crime, while others say it strains community trust and complicates policing.
Police officials said the investigation remained active, and the department would disclose additional details as they become available. The case remains part of a broader conversation about crime, policing, and governance in the nation’s capital during a period of national attention.