Washington, DC, funeral home shooting leaves 1 dead, 3 wounded; gunman at large
Shooting happened as funeral for homicide victim ended; victims may have been targeted: police chief
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four people were shot, including one fatally, outside a Washington, D.C., funeral home Tuesday, police said, as the unidentified gunman remains at large.
Officers responded to the scene where multiple people were shot outside Stewart Funeral Home in the 4000 block of Benning Road NE, a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) spokesperson initially confirmed.
Greeting reporters at the scene, MPD Police Chief Robert Contee said investigators believe the people were targeted but don't yet know why. The shooting unfolded while a funeral for a homicide victim killed at the end of March was letting out. Around 12:17 p.m., an officer already in the area in his car by a bus stop called out for the sounds of gunshots.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A shooting unfolded outside Stewart Funeral Home in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (Googe Maps)
"Our member went to the aid of several people," Contee said. Of the four victims struck by gunfire, all were adults. One of them, a man, was deceased, while the other three were taken to area hospitals with serious but not life-threatening injuries, the chief added.
The deceased victim was identified Tuesday night as 29-year-old Terrell Coghill. The other three victims were a man and two women, police said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
"At this point, it appears that several people who were in the block were specifically targeted. We're unsure why that is," Contee said. "We're unsure why these people were targeted, more or less why they were targeted at a funeral. We don't understand that. We're looking for the community's help."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MPD Chief Robert Contee delivers an update on the shooting near a funeral home. (Fox News)
"We have not identified a gunman. But it appears that the individuals who were standing in the block were targeted for some reason. And that reason we're not sure," the chief said.
Authorities were looking for the suspect vehicle, which was described as a white Lexus IS350 with possible damage to the bottom of the front passenger door. Images of the car were captured on surveillance video.
Security cameras captured images of a vehicle believed to be involving in Tuesday's shooting. (MPDC)
Contee said it is not clear at this time whether the incident was a drive-by shooting.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It does not appear that it was an exchange of gunfire. It appears that these four people were near the sidewalk here [and] were struck by gunfire coming from a suspect or suspects," he said.
"Again, the funeral ended. People were milling about when this shooting happened. And we're trying to find out who fired the shots at the end of the funeral."
Police units block the street near Stewart Funeral Home after a mass shooting in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (Fox News)
Contee did not name the March homicide victim remembered at the funeral.
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