Homicides, carjackings and robberies across Washington, DC, have affected prominent politicians and regular residents alike, leaving many in the nation’s capital fearful of the rising crime.
While other major cities saw a drop in violent crimes, the nation’s capital suffered a 39% increase last year.
On Saturday, former Trump official Mike Gill died in the hospital days after being shot in his car while he waited for his wife to leave work in an area with ritzy hotels and shops a few blocks from the White House. Last year, Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota was attacked in her apartment building, months before three assailants pointed guns at Rep. Henry Cuellar outside his DC home before stealing his car, phone and other belongings.
The same man who shot Gill then went to a different part of town – another busy neighborhood with luxury apartments and up-scale businesses – and accosted a driver, police said. The gunman demanded the keys, shot the man and drove off in his car, according to police. The victim, 35-year-old Alberto “AJ” Vasquez, a father of two young girls, died in the hospital.
It’s the senselessness of the crime that is compounding the grief, his parents told CNN.
“He probably did that a thousand times – to go pick his wife up,” Jacob Walker, said. “Until someone can explain to me that this can’t be prevented, it just doesn’t make any sense.”
Vasquez’s mother, Antoinette Walker, said she has limited her other son from coming to the capital. “We don’t want to lose him. We’re afraid. We’re terrified,” she said.
“AJ was not of the streets. AJ was not a criminal. AJ was a good man, he was a good father, he was a good brother and an awesome son and now we no longer have any of that.”
Metropolitan Police statistics show there have already been 57 carjackings in the city in 2024, 30 of which involved firearms. So far there have been eight arrests in these cases, the data show, including a 14-year-old; four 15-year-olds and two 17-year-olds.
Rising juvenile crime led Mayor Muriel Bowser to declare it a public emergency last November. Her temporary order to increase custody places for youth and improve monitoring was backed up by a unanimous vote of the city’s 13 councilmembers the same month.
A sweeping crime bill is set to be discussed by the city council on Tuesday. Authorities have already announced a “real-time crime center” they say will open this month and “will be staffed 24/7 with local, regional, and federal law enforcement agencies to monitor and respond to criminal activities in real time.”
Republicans have been quick to seize the moment to criticize. Former President Donald Trump slammed Washington DC as he argued against being tried on federal criminal charges. “No way I can get a fair trial, or even close to a fair trial, in Washington, DC. There are many reasons for this, but just one is that I am calling for a federal takeover of this filthy and crime ridden embarrassment to our nation,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Other Republicans point to the rising DC crime as an example of how policies they see as too liberal, like allowing repeat offenders back on the streets, aren’t working. And the recent action by city leaders shows they too see changes must be done.
DC’s downtown will also take a hit with the Washington Wizards NBA team and the Washington Capitals NHL teams planning to move out of the city to northern Virginia.
The teams’ relocation to a planned entertainment hub in 2028 was announced as an opportunity to create “world-class fan experiences,” but there has been widespread speculation about whether crime played a part.
Mohamad, a food delivery driver who did not want his full name published for safety, won’t work in DC any more after teens tried to carjack him last month. He said he felt no area in the city was safe anymore, at any time of day.
He now operates across the Potomac River in Virginia, where he said he only makes about half as much money, but he has more peace of mind.
“Virginia is very, very safe, everywhere,” he said. “Here is not safe. I have three attacks in Washington, DC.”
For those left in the district, police have bleak tips on how to avoid being a victim: lock your car doors, drive in the middle lane and don’t stop to help strangers. They have even offered Apple AirTags and other trackers to residents so they can find their cars if they are stolen.
