Two men and a girl have been shot in the Van Ness area of Northwest D.C., police say, prompting a major police response. Officers in tactical gear could be seen running along Connecticut Avenue NW; others had their guns drawn.
Officers were shown escorting a man in handcuffs about 4:35 p.m. More information on a possible suspect or suspects was not immediately available, but the tense situation continued after that person was taken into custody. Minutes later, officers hurried to lead residents from an apartment building on Van Ness Street. Some were running barefoot or in socks, video shows.
Police advised people to avoid the area and shelter in place.
No information on the condition of the victims was immediately released.
The shooting was reported in the 4100 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, police said Friday before 4 p.m. Much of the activity seemed to be centered around the AVA apartment building on Van Ness Street off of Connecticut, with officers entering, exiting and staging outside.
A number of streets in the area are closed. Connecticut Avenue NW is closed from Porter to Albemarle streets.
Initial calls for help reported an active shooter, police dispatch calls reveal. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that was the case.
Both Metropolitan and Secret Service officers were seen responding to the area, as well as FBI agents. Helicopters were heard flying overhead.
Armed Secret Service officers were seen escorting residents down sidewalks in the busy urban area, first walking and later running.
Witnesses said they heard several rounds of gunshots.
A message sent from the Alert DC system warned people of an “active threat” and to “shelter in place if you are nearby.”
The University of D.C.’s Van Ness campus is on lockdown. Students and other members of the university community are advised to shelter in place.
The mother of an 11th grader at the nearby Edmund Burke School told News4 her son said he heard gunshots and then students took cover.
“We are literally ducking and hiding,” another father said as his child sheltered inside the school. He said he saw broken windows.
“This is the worst nightmare any parent can have,” said the father of two students at the school.
No shooter was ever inside the school, police said.
The busy neighborhood is home to a dense mixture of apartment buildings, restaurants, businesses, office buildings and schools.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.