D.C. Shooting On Connecticut Ave.: Suspect Fired More Than 100 Rounds, Motive Unclear

WASHINGTON, DC — The suspect in Friday's shooting that injured four people in Washington, D.C.’s Van Ness neighborhood fired more than 100 rounds of ammunition, police said Saturday. Details about the possible shooter's ties to Fairfax are elusive, so far.

Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said authorities are investigating a wider area of Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness Street, checking with neighbors in the area to make sure there were no other injuries in the shooting that led to a shelter-in-place order for several hours Friday. Bullet holes have been found in a number of sites, Contee confirmed.

“We know that more than 100 rounds were fired from a long gun,” Contee said Saturday in reference to the Van Ness shooting. He said the velocity of a bullet fired from a rifle makes the potential for it penetrating other apartments in the area and injuring others a possibility. “We want to make sure people are safe.”

DC police said in a tweet that the police presence would continue Saturday in the area: “To our community: thank you for your help & patience yesterday. There will be a continued police presence near the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Van Ness Street, NW throughout the day.”

The suspect in the shooting took his own life Friday night when police forced entry into a fifth-floor apartment in the Ava Van Ness building where they had determined the shots had been fired from, but Contee did not name the suspect.

Raymond Spencer, 23, of Fairfax, was identified by DC police as a person of interest in the shooting. Friday night, Contee said police were no longer searching for Spencer after announcing the suspect had killed himself.

Police on Friday night waited at Fair Lakes Circle, a location that might be Spencer’s home, the Post reported.

“We have identified a possible residence and are closely monitoring this location,” Fairfax County police said in a statement.

Related: D.C. Shooting On Connecticut Ave.: Suspect Took His Own Life

The four people who were injured were two women, a man and a 12-year-old girl. One woman, who is in her 60s, suffered a graze wound to her back and was not hospitalized, police said. The other three were hospitalized but were listed as stable, police said.

The officers who forced entry into the apartment found six firearms, including long guns and handguns, Contee said. A photo of the scene released by DC police showed three rifles equipped with scopes, ammunition and a tripod standing next to the window. Contee confirmed the suspect had used the tripod during the shooting.

The motive behind the shooting, which led to a lockdown at Edmund Burke School and at the University of DC-Van Ness, remains under investigation, Contee said. Police have not been able to determine whether the suspect had ties to or was targeting the Burke School, a college preparatory school. Students who had been locked down were finally released to their families about 9:30 p.m. Friday.

Information about Spencer remained scarce on Saturday.

The Washington Post reported unnamed law enforcement sources confirmed authorities had investigated postings on the social media site 4chan, where a user by the name of Raymond Spencer made postings that corresponded to the time of the shooting and the search for the shooter.

The 4chan posting, titled “Shool shooting” with school misspelled, shows the user writing, “Dear God please forgive me” minutes after the shots were reported. The user later wrote “They're in the wrong part of the building right now searching XD” and the last comment from the user, in reply to comments, says “Waiting for police to catch up with me”.

The Post also reported a video that shows glass being shot out at the Edmund Burke School had been confirmed as authentic by DC police.

DC police are continuing to seek tips from the public in the investigation: “If you have info or tips regarding this incident please call our CIC at 202-727-9099/text 50411.”