The 2022 Van Ness shooting was a shooting incident that occurred on April 22, 2022, in the Van Ness neighborhood of Washington, D.C.. The attack took place across from the Edmund Burke School during afternoon dismissal. A gunman fired numerous rounds from a high-rise apartment window, injuring four people and prompting a large emergency response. ^[1]

Contents

• Attack
• Perpetrator
• Aftermath
• References

Attack

At around 3:20 p.m. EDT, multiple gunshots were fired from a fifth-floor apartment window overlooking Connecticut Avenue. ^[2] The gunfire occurred during dismissal at the Edmund Burke School, where students, staff, and parents were outside.

Four people were injured:

• a 12-year-old student on a pedestrian walkway, ^[3]
• a school security guard, ^[4]
• a woman in her 30s inside a vehicle, ^[5]
• and a woman in her 60s who sustained a minor wound. ^[6]

Law enforcement evacuated residents from the building, locked down surrounding schools, and deployed tactical units to locate the source of the shots. ^[7]

Perpetrator

Police identified the suspect as 23-year-old Raymond Spencer. ^[8] Officers later found him deceased inside the apartment where the gunfire originated. Authorities stated that no additional suspects were involved. ^[9]

Investigators recovered several firearms and a large quantity of ammunition at the scene. ^[10] No clear motive has been determined.

Aftermath

The incident resulted in temporary closures of the Edmund Burke School and nearby educational institutions. Counseling and support services were made available to affected students and staff. ^[11]

City officials praised the rapid coordination of local and federal law enforcement agencies. ^[12]

The shooting renewed discussions in Washington, D.C., about public safety, emergency preparedness, and firearm access laws. ^[13]

References