Killings in Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights this week appear gang-related, according to a D.C. councilmember who is concerned the violence will spur more attacks and end a year of relative peace among the young people in his ward.
A 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed Friday afternoon near 14th and Newton Streets NW, in what appeared to be part of a running brawl in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. The killing happened less than a mile from, and 48 hours after, the shooting of a 21-year-old black male who was killed near an Adams Morgan playground at 18th and Kalorama Streets, NW.
The slayings do not appear to be connected, but D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham said the attacks show all the signs of gang warfare, one between Latino gangs, the other involving African-American crews.
Graham, who represents Ward One, said he was bracing for repercussions.
“This is not some random act of violence, this is not someone robbed and shot. This is rival gangs fighting over some private affair,” Graham said. “Once these gangs start fighting each other, everyone gets increasingly unhappy and it leads to more violence.”
Graham said his ward has been relatively free of gang violence since the city boosted its anti-gang efforts more than a year ago. The District expanded use of its ShotSpotter technology, streamlined its gang intelligence unit and spent about $2 million to fund a gang intervention task force unit to help develop information and keep kids out of gangs.
The unit developed surprising leads. This summer, police officials in Graham’s ward issued warnings to patrols that members of the Bloods gang have been seen in the Adams Morgan area, the first time that the national syndicate had made inroads into the District.
On Friday, police identified the slain 14-year-old as Giovanni Sanchez, of the 1300 block of Underwood Street NW.
The 21-year-old shooting victim was identified as Darrell Goins. Two men had approached Goins near the Marie H. Reed Community Learning Center at Champlain Street and Kalorama Road. They fatally shot him and a wounded a friend of his. The area has been the site of a dispute between two neighborhood crews.
