The nation's capital of Washington, D.C., recorded its first homicide of the new year just an hour after midnight on New Year's Day.
Police responded to a call on the 4300 block of Military Road at around 1:18 a.m. Monday morning, when they found a woman who had been shot inside a hotel room.
The victim, identified by police as 18-year-old Ashlei Hinds, of Clinton, Maryland, was found unconscious and unresponsive. EMS attempted life-saving measures, but Hinds died at the scene.
FOX 5 DC reported that Hinds was celebrating with a group of people in a hotel room at the Embassy Suites in Friendship Heights. When one person was asked to leave the party, he took out a gun and opened fire on the crowd, the report said.
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Investigators with the Metropolitan Police Department say the suspect is 5 feet, 6 inches tall and wore black clothing and a black ski mask. The man was last seen leaving the location on foot.
Several stabbings, a separate shooting and three armed robberies were also reported on New Year's Day, according to FOX 5.
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Washington, D.C., had the fifth-highest murder rate among the nation's big cities last year, as the number of homicides reached a 23-year-high.
There were 274 homicides reported in the District in 2023, an increase of 35% over the prior year. Carjackings nearly doubled, and car thefts rose 83%. Violent crime was up nearly 40% for the year, according to data released by the city.
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In a statement, Washington, D.C., Councilmember Matt Frumin said stopping gun violence must be the "highest priority" for public officials.
"Early this morning, a gathering among a group of friends at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Frienship Heights turned tragic when a member of the party shot and killed a young woman at the gathering. My heart goes out to her family and friends, who instead of celebrating the New Year are now mourning the loss of a loved one," Frumin said, adding that his office was in contact with MPD shortly after the shooting.
Frumin announced he will host a public safety forum on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Cleveland Park Library with Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela Smith, Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
"I have confidence that MPD is doing everything the department can to apprehend the shooter," he said. "We face an epidemic of gun violence in our city that impacts every resident regardless of age, income, or Ward, and we must work together across government to empower public safety agencies to stem the tide of violence."
