One Man Injured in Shooting Near National Zoo

A man was injured in a shooting that occcurred Monday afternoon on Connecticut Ave., Northwest, outside the National Zoo, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

The shooting was reported at 5:17 PM. The victim was reported to be concious and breathing when he was transported to a local hospital, said Officer Paul Metcalf, an MPD spokesman. Witnesses described the suspects as two black, male teenagers, Metcalf said.

Police briefly closed down a chunk of Connecticut Ave. just in time for rush hour, but have since reopened one lane in each direction. US Park Police are also investigating the shooting. A National Zoo spokeswoman says the park closed its gates to new visitors after the shooting occurred, although tourists were able to leave safely. The Woodley Park station on Metro’s Red Line remains open.

Police said they do not know yet what motivated the shooting, but the area around the zoo has a violent history on the Monday following Easter. In 2011, a 16-year-old was sentenced to 82 months in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing a fellow teen several times at the zoo, and in 2000, a teen shot seven people and received 25 years in prison. Both incidents were non-fatal.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.