Four shot in Washington DC as police helicopters circle, schools locked down

• The shooting occurred near 15th and P streets NW, about one mile from the White House.
• Police described the situation as an active shooter incident and urged the public to avoid the area.

At least four people were wounded in a shooting in Washington, DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood on Thursday morning, triggering a major police operation, road closures and shelter-in-place orders as authorities responded to reports of an active shooter.

The shooting was reported near the intersection of 15th and P streets NW, approximately one mile north of the White House. Police urged residents and commuters to stay away from the area while officers secured the scene and searched for a suspect.

Dozens of police vehicles were dispatched to the neighborhood, while helicopters circled overhead and officers blocked off several surrounding streets. Police also warned pedestrians about an active shooter as the incident unfolded during the morning rush hour, CNN reported.

Authorities were responding to multiple locations in the neighborhood, although they had not immediately provided further details about the circumstances of the shooting or the identities and conditions of those injured. Nearby schools were also placed under lockdown, according to the Associated Press.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also sent agents to assist with the response, AP reported.

The incident comes as Washington continues to grapple with gun violence and broader concerns about public safety. Metropolitan Police Department figures published on Nov. 10 showed that violent crime in the capital had increased by 12% compared with the same period in 2025.

Assaults involving a dangerous weapon rose by 40%, from 805 cases to 1,124, while recorded homicides declined by 26%, from 119 to 88. The figures are preliminary and cover several categories of violent crime, not exclusively shootings.

Logan Circle has also been at the center of the city's recent security debate. In Aug. 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a federal intervention in Washington's public safety operations, deploying National Guard troops and placing the city's police department under federal control for a period.

The deployment, initially presented as an effort to tackle crime, remained in place at the time of Thursday's shooting, according to AP.

The investigation was ongoing, with police yet to release information about a possible motive or whether a suspect had been apprehended.

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