Northwest DC shooting: Search continues for answers after suspected shooter found dead, 4 injured

WASHINGTON - Officials have announced that the suspected shooter who injured four people – including a 12-year-old girl – in Northwest is dead. 

During a press conference Friday evening, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said that the gunmen "took his life" in a fifth-floor apartment located in the area of Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness St., NW. 

DC Police confirmed with FOX 5 that 23-year-old Raymond Spencer of Fairfax, Virginia is the deceased suspected shooter. 

Chief Contee said six firearms and multiple rounds of ammo were recovered from the apartment Spencer was found in. 

Metropolitan Police Department 

Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, said Saturday they had identified a residence tied to the suspected shooter and assisted District of Columbia officers in executing a search warrant. A Fairfax spokesman, 2nd Lt. Ian Yost, said his information indicated authorities did not find any family members there.

DC police said they received a call about a shooting at about 3:30 p.m. on Friday along the 2900 block of Van Ness Street, NW near Edmund Burke School.

There have been at least four victims located, including two women, one man, and a 12-year-old girl, according to authorities. One of the victims was a former member of DC Police. All the victims are in stable condition and expected to survive, police said.

Metropolitan Police provide cover for residents as they are evacuated away from a shooting scene on Van Ness Street Northwest on April 22, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Police swept the Cleveland Park and Van Ness area and urged residents to shelter in place. Police later lifted the shelter in place. On Saturday, police announced that there will be a police presence near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness Street throughout the day as they investigate the incident. 

Local and federal law enforcement respond to an alleged shooting near the 2900 block of Van Ness Street in Northwest, Washington, DC on April 22, 2022. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

FOX 5's cameras captured someone being led away from the scene in handcuffs, but the police chief later said they were detaining people fleeing the scene to make sure they weren't the shooter.

Videos from the scene show a massive police presence surrounding the area along Connecticut Avenue. FOX 5 crews captured video of officers in tactical gear, armed with long guns who were escorting people out of the area.

FOX 5 DC spoke with witnesses at the scene who said they heard at least 100 gunshots in the area. One witness told FOX 5 she heard four separate incidents or rounds of gunfire take place.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they were also responding to the shooting to help local authorities.

The shooting took place near several embassies in the Van Ness area, including embassies for China, Pakistan, Israel, Nigeria and Singapore. The U.S. Secret Service said their officers were assisting local police and said there was "no impact to Secret Service protectees."

Sources tell FOX 5 that the Edmund Burke School will be closed on Monday, April 25 due to Friday's shooting.

The University of D.C. announced that their Van Ness campus was on lockdown in response to the shooting. The Sidwell Friends School in Northwest D.C. also announced it was on lockdown. The lockdowns have since been lifted.

DC police said a family reunification site was set up at the Cleveland Park Library located at 3310 Connecticut Ave, NW.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.