D.C. police on Monday said a male victim was shot and killed in Union Station during the evening rush hour.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the victim, who wasn’t identified, was gunned down by an apparent acquaintance around 4:45 p.m. near the historic train station’s parking garage.
Chief Smith said the suspect, who was only identified as male, was socializing with the victim moments before he opened fire.
“The decedent grabs something off of the person of the shooting suspect, the shooting suspect then begins to return fire,” the chief said. “The decedent then runs out of the waiting area and then gets to the escalator and falls down and collapses.”
Chief Smith said the victim died at the scene, while the suspect ran off and is still at-large.
She said the gunman was last seen wearing gray pants and light-colored shoes.
CNN political commentator Scott Jennings said he happened to be at Union Station when the shots rang out.
“Not usually a breaking news reporter but I was in Union Station when this happened,” Mr. Jennings posted on X.
“Heard the shots. Saw the victim hit the floor at the bottom of the escalator. Saw two people flee the scene. Happened on second floor, escalator near Andrews Ties. They ran right past me,” he wrote.
Killings are on the rise in the District through the early part of the year.
Monday night’s Union Station shooting is the 22nd homicide in the city. At this point last year, the District had 13 killings.
Other categories of violent crime — such as robberies, carjackings and weapons assault — are below 2024 levels.
A killing in Union Station could have political reverberations, as the historic facility is within a short walk of the U.S. Capitol and frequented by lawmakers and the city’s elite.
It is the District’s flagship train station, not only as a destination on the area’s subway system and both Maryland’s and Virginia’s commuter-rail services, but also the terminus for Amtrak’s Acela routes linking Washington with New York, Philadelphia, Boston and other East Coast cities.
Worsening public safety was an impetus last week for Republican congressmen to propose repealing the D.C. Home Rule Act.
The law, passed in 1973, allows District residents to elect politicians to handle local matters. If repealed by the Republican-controlled Congress, it would essentially abolish the office of Mayor Muriel Bowser and the entire D.C. Council.
“The radically progressive regime of D.C. Mayor Bowser has left our nation’s capital in crime-ridden shambles. Washington is now known for its homicides, rapes, drug overdoses, violence, theft, and homelessness,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, Tennessee Republican, when announcing the bill.
“Bowser and her corrupt Washington City Council are incapable of managing the city. As such, it seems appropriate for Congress to reclaim its constitutional authority and restore the nation’s capital,” he said.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.