The shooter struck four people with gunfire in front of Big Ben Liquor Store, located on the corner of North Capitol Street and New York Avenue in Northwest D.C.
Kevin Antonio Cole, 26, of Southeast, has been charged with assault with intent to kill after being arrested on June 15 as the suspected getaway driver during a quadruple shooting in Northwest D.C. on June 8. A person of interest described as a masked man in black is considered the main suspect and, according to the Metro Police, he is still at large.
“There have been no additional arrests in this case at this time,” Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Alice Kim told the AFRO June 20.
On June 8, the shooter struck four people with gunfire in front of Big Ben’s Liquor Store, located on the corner of North Capitol Street and New York Avenue, a busy intersection in the late afternoon, police said. Police believe it was not a random shooting and the attacker may have shot his intended target.
Video surveillance of the crime scene assisted police in identifying Cole as the suspected driver and provided a description of the shooter. “This first arrest is a good step in the right direction, but it doesn’t end this investigation,” D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier told reporters at a press conference.
Three of the injured were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. A fourth person is in critical condition.
Ward 5 D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie (D) attended an emergency meeting on June 9 to inform and listen to residents about the crime happening in their part of the city. (Courtesy Photo)
On June 9, an emergency community meeting was organized by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fifth District. Commander William Fitzgerald of the Fifth District and Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) were present. Lanier said there is an earlier shift in the time of shootings, but the same amount of shootings are going on in the evenings.
An area of about 1,000 feet around the liquor store has seen 38 violent crimes as of June 21 this year. Of those violent crimes two have resulted in homicides, according to data collected by the police department.
Police are offering up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the shooting. Anyone with information can call the police at 202-727-9099 or send a text to the Text Tip Line at 50411.