NE DC community hosts a crime walk with MPD following a recent murder near an elementary school

WASHINGTON (7News) — A community recently rocked by a murder near an elementary school is conducting a crime walk with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Thursday evening.

On October 8, MPD officers responded to a shooting in the 900 block of 7th Street Northeast and found 39-year-old Delonte Smith suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting happened near JO Wilson Elementary School.

Neighbors who organized the community walk sent a letter to MPD expressing concern after the shooting.

“The shooting/homicide in the 900 block of 7th Street NE, in close proximity to JO Wilson School, has created a sense of fear and uncertainty in our community,” the letter said. “There have been several complaints about crime from residents of the alley (7th St., Eye St., K St. and 6th Street NE) and these ongoing problems are clearly highlighted by this murder. Is this murder related to the 8th and H open-air drug market? Our community has witnessed illegal activity in the alley and around the adjacent residences, including illegal alley parties, car theft, car chases, sex work, human waste, drug trafficking and consumption, trash dumping, to name a few. There have been several shootings this year , which further unsettled the community, with no further information about who was involved or who was arrested. The community invites you as elected officials and law enforcement to offer solutions to this issue. We have requested alley lighting and regular patrols to monitor this area, which is a daily hotspot for criminals. Can the community rely on you to work with us to troubleshoot issues?

According to data obtained by 7News, overall crime within a half-mile radius of JO Wilson Elementary School is down 16% and violent crime is down 48% compared to the same period last year. There have been two homicides this year, which is fewer than the three homicides at this time last year.

Last year, crime rates reached highs not seen in decades, but crime near schools also fell compared to the same period in 2022.