Mayor Bowser: Specify a plan for addressing gun violence in Brightwood and Petworth

  • by: Chloe V.
  • recipient: Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser

I've lived in DC for the last 10 years, and moved to Petworth just over a year ago. I love my city and my neighborhood - but, as a new mom, I'm starting to worry that my six-month-old daughter might not be safe here.

I, like the hundreds of DC residents signing this petition, am concerned about the recent spate of gun violence in our neighborhood. Since December 9, there have been over 30 incidents here. And this list of incidents is conservative because MPD does not alert citizens to every incident of “shots fired."

We're all left wondering when Mayor Bowser will give us a solid plan to address the violence. If you live in D.C. and share these concerns, then your voice is needed too!

Please help make a difference in our community and sign this petition to Mayor Bowser today: We need a precise strategy to address gun violence — not more ambiguous letters, "tours", and calls for residents to be "mindful of our surroundings". In December, Mayor Boswer said that "no resident should expect to live in fear in Washington, D.C." She is right.

Dear Mayor Bowser,


In view of the recent shootings, we would be grateful if your office could share a specific plan for addressing gun crime in our neighborhood. A list of gun related crime in the Brightwood/Petworth neighborhood over the last four months is listed below—this list should be considered conservative rather than comprehensive since MPD does not alert citizens to many incidents of “shots fired”. I am certain you agree that this level of violence is unacceptable.


At the end of December, when you “toured” Ward 4, you promised additional resources would be coming to the neighborhood. Have these resources been deployed? Can you provide us with more information on what these additional resources are? Do you think the existing strategy is working, and might you consider other options? Are as many MPD resources being dedicated to our Ward as possible?


While your attention to the situation in December was appreciated, residents would feel more reassured by a precise strategy—not ambiguous letters to the neighborhood, “tours”, and calls for us residents to be “mindful of our surroundings”. One of the shootings on March 12 occurred in broad daylight at 2:30PM; what is the suggestion for being “mindful” of this kind of violence? In December you said that “no resident should expect to live in fear in Washington, DC”. You are right. We need more information from your office about the action plan for “stop[ping] violence before it starts”.



  1. May 25, 2015—Shooting (multiple victims), 900 Block of Gallatin St, NW (3:21AM)

  2. May 25, 2015—Shooting, 3600 Warder St, NW (12:02AM)

  3. May 24, 2015—Shooting, 5601 13th St, NW (8:00PM)

  4. May 15, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 8th St and Kennedy, NW (8:30PM)

  5. May 15, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 5200 block of 16th St, NW

  6. May 15, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 4100 Block of 4th Street, NW

  7. May 9, 2015—Multiple shots fired (robbery), New Hampshire and Taylor NW (3:00AM)

  8. May 8, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 8th and Emerson NW (2:00PM)

  9. May 6, 2015—Shooting, 5500 8th Street NW (10:09PM)

  10. May 1, 2015—Shooting (Homicide), 5801 Georgia Avenue NW (7:10PM)

  11. April 20, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 8th and Kennedy (reported around 8:45PM)

  12. April 20, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 9th and Jefferson (reported around 6PM) 

  13. April 15, 2015—Mutiple shots fired, 800 Block of Varnum St, NW

  14. April 8, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 300 Block of Upshur St, NW

  15. March 30, 2015—Shooting (Homicide), 13th and Van Buren, NW

  16. March 22, 2015—Multiple shots fired, detected by ShotSpotter, 319 Webster St, NW

  17. March 21, 2015—Multiple shots fired, detected my ShotSpotter, 4400 Illinois Ave, NW

  18. March 16, 2015—Multiple shots fired, 3rd and Upshur, NW

  19. March 12, 2015—Shooting, 5300 Block of 4th Street, NW

  20. March 12, 2015—Shooting (Homicide), 8th and Jefferson, NW

  21. March 7, 2015—Shooting (Homicide), 3500 Block of Center Street, NW

  22. February 23, 2015—“Car shot up”, 400 Block of Kennedy, NW

  23. February 16, 2015—Multiple shots fired, Illinois and Farragut, NW

  24. January 26, 2015—Multiple shorts fired, 4800 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

  25. January 25, 2015—Multiple shots fired, detected by ShotSpotter, 8th St and Randolph St, NW

  26. January 25, 2015—Multiple shots fired, South of Petworth Metro Station, NW

  27. January 14, 2015—Multiple shots fired, Grant Circle, NW

  28. January 10, 2015—Shooting (Homicide), 14th and Monroe

  29. December 27, 2014—Multiple shots fired, 700 Block of Varnum St, NW

  30. December 26, 2014—Shooting, 13th and Gallatin, NW

  31. December 25, 2014—Shooting, 700 Block of Emerson

  32. December 24, 2014—Shooting (Homicide), 3900 Block of 14th St, NW

  33. December 23, 2014—Shooting (Homicide), 900 Block Delafield, NW

  34. December 23, 2014—Shooting, 9th and Jefferson NW

  35. December 18, 2014—Shooting, Georgia and Quincy, NW

  36. December 15, 2014—Multiple shots fired, 9th and Quincy, NW

  37. December 14, 2014—Shooting, 800 Block Emerson, NW

  38. December 13, 2014—Shooting, 4600 Block of 9th St, NW

  39. December 12, 2014—Shooting, Georgia Avenue and Park Rd, NW

  40. December 9, 2014—Multiple shots fired, 8th Street and Jefferson St, NW

Update #28 years ago
Please note that there will be a Public Safety Meet and Greet on Saturday, April 25. At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds, MPD 4th District Commeander Manlapaz, ANC Commissioners and neighborhood officers will be present to discuss neighborhood safety concerns.
Details are:
Saturday, April 25, 10:00AM-11:30AM
Roof Terrace of The Swift at Petworth Metro, 3828 Georgia Avenue
Update #19 years ago
Neighbors,

Thank you for taking action to protect Brightwood and Petworth! Please note: MPD has announced an emergency PSA 407 meeting for Saturday at 10 a.m. to discuss gunshots and gun violence. Please attend if you can - you can learn more here: http://bit.ly/1ByTDCH

Please share this petition with everyone you know in Ward 4 and D.C. so that we can show Mayor Bowser how important this issue is to our community.

Thank you.
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