Another shooting near the National Zoo

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:Apparently many of you did not notice my request to tone things down. At this point in time, nobody really knows what happened today. A lot of assumptions are being made that may turn out to be true, but may not. So, let's all calm down a bit.

With all due respect, I've read that some of the posters here were eyewitnesses to the mayhem.

Such posters' input is more then welcome. But, some of the most extreme posts have come from posters who weren't there,

I wasnt in the middle of the shooting. I was with my kid not more than 500 feet from the zoo entrance when a helicopter came on top, you could hear sirens everywhere, people were running out and my spouse, having heard some news in the radio, called me to see where we were and how we could leave the area fastest.

Am I qualified to comment?

Yes, but unless you were in the zoo, you are not qualified to comment on what happened in the zoo. Of course, if you were in the zoo, comment away.

Wait - someone isn't qualified to comment on the news unless s/he was there? Come on.

Now you are just being difficult. There have been comments in this thread saying that such and such was happening in the zoo that were made by posters not in a position to know. Those accounts were contradicted by posters who were in the zoo. What good is uninformed speculation and unfounded claims?

As I said in my first post in this thread, there are a few posters who seem to be showing a great deal of glee about today's event. You would almost think that they would have been disappointed had today's event go off without a hitch. Similarly, there is an unfortunate eagerness to rub black peoples' faces in it. None of this is helpful.

We don't know if the shooting was connected to the event at the zoo. We don't know if last week's shooting was connected to today's. We don't know a lot of things. So, let's just ease off a bit with comments about things we don't know.

NP here. I don't see any glee, only justifiable fear, confusion, and anger. The anger seems to be about the shooting and riot-type atmosphere in broad daylight in a normally safe neighborhood. The anger also seems to be directed towards the media for giving vague and useless information. I don't know where to turn for credible information since the local media is so vague, hours after the event. I want to know more so I can deduce if my family and I will be safe at the zoo over the next few days (Zhenjiang I was considering visiting). I don't see any glee from anyone. Stop projecting.

I am not going to argue about this. Nobody can tell you whether you will be safe at the zoo in the next few days. In particular, some blowhard on here creating hysteria is not going to be able to tell you. Fortune tellers are in very short supply at the moment.

A poster in this thread wrote that "this happens every year." There have, in fact, not been shootings at the zoo every year. Moreover, we do not know that this shooting was even connected to the zoo. Does this sort of misinformation help you in evaluating your safety?

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Could we please clarify DCUM standards, so certain posters aren't singled out because of their opposing views? Or maybe the presentation of their views isn't up to DCUM standards. Thank you.

No, but you can feel free not to post in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP here. I don't see any glee, only justifiable fear, confusion, and anger. The anger seems to be about the shooting and riot-type atmosphere in broad daylight in a normally safe neighborhood. The anger also seems to be directed towards the media for giving vague and useless information. I don't know where to turn for credible information since the local media is so vague, hours after the event. I want to know more so I can deduce if my family and I will be safe at the zoo over the next few days (Zhenjiang I was considering visiting). I don't see any glee from anyone. Stop projecting.

Jeff has taken down quite a few posts in this thread. It's true that the media coverage has been pretty vague.

Easter Monday is a traditional AA family day at the zoo, and there have been disruptions in the past, as there were this year.

On any other day, the zoo is entirely safe. Have fun with your family. Bring sunscreen and be prepared for a tough time getting a parking space.

"Disruptions in the past" is a rather euphemistic way of putting a pattern of repeated shootings and violence in or near a normally very safe neighborhood and a national institution visited especially by children. "A bit of unpleasantness" might have been an alternative phrasing...

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP here. I don't see any glee, only justifiable fear, confusion, and anger. The anger seems to be about the shooting and riot-type atmosphere in broad daylight in a normally safe neighborhood. The anger also seems to be directed towards the media for giving vague and useless information. I don't know where to turn for credible information since the local media is so vague, hours after the event. I want to know more so I can deduce if my family and I will be safe at the zoo over the next few days (Zhenjiang I was considering visiting). I don't see any glee from anyone. Stop projecting.

Jeff has taken down quite a few posts in this thread. It's true that the media coverage has been pretty vague.

Easter Monday is a traditional AA family day at the zoo, and there have been disruptions in the past, as there were this year.

On any other day, the zoo is entirely safe. Have fun with your family. Bring sunscreen and be prepared for a tough time getting a parking space.

"Disruptions in the past" is a rather euphemistic way of putting a pattern of repeated shootings and violence in or near a normally very safe neighborhood and a national institution visited especially by children. "A bit of unpleasantness" might have been an alternative phrasing...

A shooting in 2000 and a shooting in 2006. So, every six years or so. That's assuming today's had anything to do with the zoo. Certainly not "every year" as one poster would have it.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could we please clarify DCUM standards, so certain posters aren't singled out because of their opposing views? Or maybe the presentation of their views isn't up to DCUM standards. Thank you.

No, but you can feel free not to post in this thread.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP here. I don't see any glee, only justifiable fear, confusion, and anger. The anger seems to be about the shooting and riot-type atmosphere in broad daylight in a normally safe neighborhood. The anger also seems to be directed towards the media for giving vague and useless information. I don't know where to turn for credible information since the local media is so vague, hours after the event. I want to know more so I can deduce if my family and I will be safe at the zoo over the next few days (Zhenjiang I was considering visiting). I don't see any glee from anyone. Stop projecting.

Jeff has taken down quite a few posts in this thread. It's true that the media coverage has been pretty vague.

Easter Monday is a traditional AA family day at the zoo, and there have been disruptions in the past, as there were this year.

On any other day, the zoo is entirely safe. Have fun with your family. Bring sunscreen and be prepared for a tough time getting a parking space.

"Disruptions in the past" is a rather euphemistic way of putting a pattern of repeated shootings and violence in or near a normally very safe neighborhood and a national institution visited especially by children. "A bit of unpleasantness" might have been an alternative phrasing...

A shooting in 2000 and a shooting in 2006. So, every six years or so. That's assuming today's had anything to do with the zoo. Certainly not "every year" as one poster would have it.

No, certainly not every year. But the pattern and extent of the violence in conjunction with this event has become a real problem:

-- In 2000, seven victims were struck by gunshots, including an 11 year old boy who was critically wounded in the head. Police and zoo officials at the time said it was the worst incident in 111 years at the zoo.
-- In 2006 there was another shooting
--In 2011 there were multiple fights in the zoo and a teenager was stabbed multiple times.
--Today's shootings reportedly involve two victims,

[Anonymous]

I live in Woodley Park and was driving in front of the zoo in 2011 right after the stabbing. It was total chaos. There were tons of people in the street, banging on cars, yelling and screaming, etc. My kids were scared. Today, as I was driving home from work right around 5:20, I saw several cop cars, helicopters, etc., and I knew that there must have been another incident at the zoo. This event should stop immediately. I think the zoo should close on Easter Monday or make it a ticketed event as others have suggested. If something doesn't change, it's going to end in tragedy (child caught in cross fire, tourist getting shot at zoo, etc.). And there's no way the Smithsonian, the city, police department, etc. will be able to avoid the lawsuit. They are all on notice that this event is dangerous and needs to be suspended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Woodley Park and was driving in front of the zoo in 2011 right after the stabbing. It was total chaos. There were tons of people in the street, banging on cars, yelling and screaming, etc. My kids were scared. Today, as I was driving home from work right around 5:20, I saw several cop cars, helicopters, etc., and I knew that there must have been another incident at the zoo. This event should stop immediately. I think the zoo should close on Easter Monday or make it a ticketed event as others have suggested. If something doesn't change, it's going to end in tragedy (child caught in cross fire, tourist getting shot at zoo, etc.). And there's no way the Smithsonian, the city, police department, etc. will be able to avoid the lawsuit. They are all on notice that this event is dangerous and needs to be suspended.

Very well said.

[Anonymous]

I work in the Starbucks across from the Zoo entrance--this happened directly in front of my store, and it was terrifying. I want to clarify a few things:

1.) The city knows this day is dangerous, and if you pay attention you'll notice they absolutely pack the area with officers and a variety of mobile units each year. Saw motorbikes in the drive, cars and vans up and down Connecticut. It is a joke at this point--"Welp, wish me luck, might get shot today."

2.) They mentioned the previous stabbings and shootings in the news, but not the numerous fights and riot behavior from the years in between.

3.) The atmosphere is rowdy most of the week that DCPS has Spring Break, but Easter Monday Family Day is always the climax of the tension. This is an event the zoo and local businesses dread each year, but it brings in a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

A few more things:

-the zoo will be perfectly safe tomorrow, assuming it is open.
-There is talk of closing our store next year.
-while life-threatening wounds don't happen each year, physical fights do, as do other disturbances and petty crimes in the area.

[Anonymous]

Was any of the "mayhem" caught on the PandaCam?

[Anonymous]

Thank you, Starbucks PP. appreciate your informative post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Woodley Park and was driving in front of the zoo in 2011 right after the stabbing. It was total chaos. There were tons of people in the street, banging on cars, yelling and screaming, etc. My kids were scared. Today, as I was driving home from work right around 5:20, I saw several cop cars, helicopters, etc., and I knew that there must have been another incident at the zoo. This event should stop immediately. I think the zoo should close on Easter Monday or make it a ticketed event as others have suggested. If something doesn't change, it's going to end in tragedy (child caught in cross fire, tourist getting shot at zoo, etc.). And there's no way the Smithsonian, the city, police department, etc. will be able to avoid the lawsuit. They are all on notice that this event is dangerous and needs to be suspended.

The shootings happened a block and a half from a school and, according to the Post, resulted in the Cleveland Park library being locked down. I guess the authorities were worried that the gun assailants could have fled anywhere in the surrounding neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

We need to arm the elephants and giraffes

[Anonymous]

Sadly, there are no giraffes at the zoo. But that's a topic for another thread...