Crime & Safety

Shooting on 30th Ave. Leaves Three Injured

Police investigating Friday night shooting in West Hyattsville.

Three men suffered injuries in a shooting that erupted in the 5700 block of 30th Avenue over the weekend, leaving a West Hyattsville neighborhood shaken.

The shooting occurred at about 10:35 p.m., on Friday, Aug. 10, according to Hyattsville City Police Department Chief Doug Holland. Police said that the suspects— a group of three men— approached the victims on foot as they were standing in the front yard and walkway of a single family residence.

Suddenly, from across the street, one of the three suspects produced a semi-automatic handgun and opened fire, police said. 

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Police estimate that at least five shots were fired. Police said three people were injured, though only one was directly shot. 

Witnesses who live inside the house where the shooting took place described the injuries to each victim as gunshot wounds. One injured man suffered a wound to the leg, another to the shoulder and another to his torso. Two of the injured lived inside the house. A third was said to be visiting.

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Illustrating the deadly power of the weapon used was a large scratch from a bullet left on the front driver side quarter panel of a black Honda Civic parked in the driveway of the house where the shooting occurred.

After shooting, the three suspects are believed to have fled on foot, heading north towards Nicholson Street. 

Police have only a very basic description of the suspects, reported as only Hispanic males in their 20s. One resident who lives in the home outside of which the shooting took place said that the suspects were shrouded in darkness at the time of the shooting. 

Despite the fact that the incident occurred on Friday evening, city police did not release details on the incident until contacted by Patch Wednesday afternoon.

A resident who requested she be identified only as Sherrie and who lived near the scene of the shooting, said she wanted to know more about the incident.

"We kept looking for it in the paper," she said. "We wanted to know a little bit more about it so we would know what's going on in our neighborhood and if it's safe to send our kids outside."

Holland said that police did not release information earlier because the shooting may have been a random occurrence. 

"If we see a pattern where there may be an opportunity for residents to assist us … then those are normally the times when we use the alert system," said Holland.

Despite the shooting, Sherrie, a lifelong resident of 30th Avenue, said that she believes her neighborhood is safe.

"usually we have no problem just letting our kids outside to play," she said.


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