Hamilton Street Shooting Wounds Two

Two people have been injured during an overnight drive-by shooting near the intersection of Queens Chapel Road and Hamilton Street in Hyattsville. 

The incident began around 2:55 a.m. at the nearby Shell Gas station. 

According to Sgt. Chris Purvis, public information officer for the Hyattsville City Police Department, two groups of friends in two cars were at the gas station when a small, dark colored four-door compact vehicle turned from Hamilton Street into the Shell parking lot. Then suddenly, shots rang out from, police believe, within the dark compact car before it sped off. 

Purvis said the most amazing aspect of the shooting was the fact that the shooter had to have driven past a nearby police officer on patrol.

"Our guy was set up next door in the Aldi's parking lot with his lights on and everything, keeping an eye on the establishments," said Purvis. "The guy had to have seen him."

In all 19 shots were fired. The nearby police officer at first thought he was hearing firecrackers, according to Purvis. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered one man suffering from gunshot wounds to the buttocks and stomach.

Later, police discovered they had a second victim, a woman who police describe as a bystander, had suffered a gunshot wound to the right hands and lip but had driven herself to the hospital for treatment. 

The hail of bullets also damaged property nearby. The gas station door was shot out, and bullet marks apparently can be seen on the gas station building, according to Purvis.