Starting Saturday, Prince George’s County will crack down on street shootings. D.C. residents wonder if that could lead them to cross the Maryland border.
Washington, DC, USA — Neighbors ran outside as these booming sounds nearly shook this neighborhood.
“You could almost feel it,” said Lynn Lofton, who lives at the intersection of South Dakota Avenue and 12th Street Southeast, where security video shows cars doing donuts Thursday night.
It’s an intersection that residents, like Lofton, said is extremely busy.
“There really is a recipe for disaster,” Lofton said. “It’s just not safe, it’s not safe for anyone and now we have pedestrians everywhere.”
“I get it, people are car enthusiasts and all that, but that kind of stuff doesn’t belong on the streets. “It’s dangerous,” said a man who witnessed the shooting on the street, but did not want to be identified.
Up and down South Dakota Ave NE. About 10 cars total almost hit other cars and did donuts.
I tried calling 911 but couldn’t get through for 5 minutes and they were gone. #dcissues #dc911 #dcproblemas @alanhenney @DC pic.twitter.com/bHqdgWP7Lh
—BigJoo Groove (@bigjoo81) May 31, 2024
The location of the street takeover is just a few blocks from Prince George’s County, where, starting Saturday, they said they will penalize anyone caught in a car rally or street takeover, with fines and possible punishment. of jail. Some residents who live in this neighborhood along South Dakota Avenue Northeast wonder if that could result in more illegal activity from cars crossing the Maryland border more frequently.
“I’m sure it will be,” Lofton said. “I just hope the DC City Council is aware of it and I hope they do everything they can to prevent it. I mean, this is just bad.”
“We are working closely with Commander 5D and Commander 4D to ensure they are increasing surveillance and traffic control,” said Ward 5 Councilman Zachary Parker.
He said he saw the video of the street takeover circulating on social media and said the city is keeping a close eye on D.C. residents.
“What we know is that out-of-state drivers, specifically Maryland and Virginia, are driving recklessly through our communities and threatening our lives,” Parker said.
Lofton hopes this is the last time he sees anything like this on his block.
“I’m sure these people driving these cars have a place to vent, but I don’t know if it should be in a neighborhood,” Lofton said.
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