Good morning readers. And, while I have your attention, let me take a minute to join the long list of public officials and say: I’m very saddened by the Metro crash. Condolences all around. But, jeesh, it’s not the only thing to go down Monday night.

Petworth residents are perturbed by a possible new round of gang warfare that broke out in their hood hours after the Red Line crash. Just before midnight Jun. 22, police say, there was a double shooting on the 600 block of Quebec Place, N.W. A woman suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and a man – who police believe was shot at the scene and fled in a car that crashed – later died of his injuries, Ward 4 Councilwoman Muriel Bowser told her constituents yesterday.

About three hours later, police responded to an apparent shootout on the 500 block of Shepherd Street, N.W. They reported finding cars riddled with bullet holes but no victims.

Read More "Petworth Shootouts – Possibly Gang Related – Spark More Recriminations Over Defunct Crime Bill" »

Good morning, City Desk readers. Your news:

• Yesterday on the MPD-4D listserv, Petworth residents tossed around the idea that the wave of violence had come to an end (or that everyone who cared had moved away), but it looks like they spoke too soon. Police are now looking for a black pick-up truck that shot at two cars last night near Farragut St. NW.
• Pop Cesspool gives his "first thumbs-down" to a Facebook ad.
• Every rag in DC has an "Inauguration Guide"--Washington City Paper's is the one you should use.
• From WaPo: Not to be outdone by PG County, Montgomery County is enacting some far-reaching legislation of its own, which will put an end to "mansionization." (Imagine someone at the planning office holding his thumb and finger close together and saying, "Your house can only be this big.")
• Also in WaPo: American kids are still "just ok" at science.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery.

In conjunction with the investigation into the murder of Michael and Virginia Spevak, ABC 7 reports that D.C. Police discovered a safe and computer during yesterday's search of the backyard and alley behind 622 Ingraham St. NW.

A neighbor also found a charred ID belonging to Dr. Spevak in the alley.

Inspector Rodney Parks, addressing the press yesterday at the scene of the investigation, refused to confirm or deny the discovery of a computer. "Items were taken," he told us, "and burglary appears to be the motive. But we haven’t ruled out anything else."

NBC is also reporting the discovery of a safe.

Photograph above: D.C. Police package evidence in the Ingraham alley on 11/24/08

This afternoon in the backyard of 622 Ingraham Street NW, police found evidence relating to the murder of Michael and Virginia Spevak . The house is less than twenty yards from the spot where the Spevaks' blue 2005 Scion was torched in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Officers have brought in four of the house's residents for questioning and are preparing to execute a search warrant on 622.

Read More "Evidence in Spevak Case Found at 622 Ingraham" »

AMENDMENT: City Paper's Ted Scheinman rightly points out that a serious crime occurred two hours before the All Hands on Deck effort was supposed to wrap up, and not two blocks from the MPD's Kennedy Street efforts: The burning of a car that may be a significant piece of evidence in the Chevy Chase murder. Whatever confidence the MPD's fliers inspired in Petworth residents has likely expired, although a case could be made that preventing car fires wasn't part of the plan.

The Politico's Ben Smith threw up the MPD's community outreach flier on his blog today, but made one huge mistake in his write-up:

The Washington, D.C. police department launched a new initiative with a familiar slogan today, hoping to bring the sense of national change to urban youth.

The "No Shots Fired" initatiative "encourages youth to have a peaceful gunfire-free weekend," according to the press release.

The "No Shots Fired" initiative began--and ended--this past weekend. And those fliers? They were handed out in Petworth on Friday and Saturday nights, at the MPD's questionable checkpoints on Kennedy Street (I have two at home, along with a sheet detailing recently-solved homicides, which MPD officers were handing out to drivers after they questioned them over unbuckled seatbelts and outstanding tickets). The press release for the initiative, part of phase IV of "All Hands on Deck," went out Friday afternoon.

Read More "The Politico’s Ben Smith Missed the Boat on Petworth Violence" »

Police are mounting a full-scale investigation after the brutal murder last night of an elderly couple in Chevy Chase, D.C.

The victims, identified as Dr. Michael Spevak and Virginia Spevak, had been bound and brutalized after an apparent break-in. Their car—a 2005 blue Toyota Scion—was discovered this morning around 5 a.m. in the 500 block of Ingraham Street, NW, swathed in flames.

More below the jump, including photos, updates, and the official police statement.

Read More "Double Homicide in 5300 Block of Belt Road, NW; Victims’ Car Torched in Petworth" »

Washington City Paper had heard from various readers that the MPD was setting up checkpoints in Petworth, and as of this evening can now verify two checkpoints, which the MPD conducted under the guise of  "community outreach efforts" tonight for an hour at the intersections of Kennedy & 7th and Kennedy & 1st streets. Around 25 officers  could be seen stopping cars, checking licenses, running plates, and citing minor seatbelt and cell-phone infractions. Many road flares and many police vans.

UPDATE: The MPD is flooding the neighborhood with recruits. They can be heard yelling "HOORAH."

UPDATE: According to Officer R. Mullins, the MPD is conducting "a routine walk-through," something it does "every four to five months" using recruits from the police academy. Mullins said three classes are out tonight, or about 75 recruits, plus various commanding officers.

UPDATE: According to a release that went out to the MPD-4D listserv around 2 p.m., Mayor Fenty is calling tonight's MPD activities "City-wide All Hands on Deck Phase IV." In addition to the MPD maintaining checkpoints and conducting foot patrols, "homicide detectives [will be] following up with victims." No word yet on whether said follow-ups will involve members of DC's medium community.

Good morning, District denizens! And now, the news:

• Lt. James A. Cullen posted on the MDP-4D listserv that the 17 year old who was shot while near the 700 block of Decatur St. NW was treated and released from the hospital. Cullen also said that a "white Lexus sedan" may have been involved in the incident. According to Linda Brown, MPD Commander of the Fourth District, police are responding with gusto to the most recent shooting on Kennedy St. (which City Paper missed): "Our attention is continually focused in the 600-700 blocks of Jefferson, Kennedy and Longfellow.  We have executed several search warrants in this target area in the last few days in an effort to bring this gun violence to an end."
• Looking to rent out your place for inauguration but worried about getting busted for violating housing regulations? Fear not! According to The Washington Post Mayor Adrian M. Fenty decided yesterday to suspend "requirements for property inspections...from Jan. 13 through 27," as well as various other obstacles to renting out one's futon in Brightwood Park. (*Ahem* We have wireless Internet, folks! And the place is clean! *Ahem*) The last obstacle is the landlord. (Don't hold your breath for Fenty to suspend other pointless laws, the kind that do nothing to curb the behaviors they criminalize and generate less money than is required to enforce them.)
• Twilight, the vampire movie every chick wants to see, opens tonight. Critics have mixed opinions. Moviegoers should prepare themselves for violent hordes of XX's, ranging from 13 to 30 years of age, all of them screaming for the blood of Robert Pattinson. Check out Washington City Paper's showtimes for other movie listings.
• Prince of Petworth has a question for you.
• Calling all nerds: New FreakAngels, new Marriedtothesea, and new Penny-Arcade. Check them out now.

A few minutes after 11 p.m. tonight, a young woman was shot in the 700 block of Decatur Street, NW.

The victim sustained injuries to her left arm and is not in in critical condition, police say. She is seventeen years old.

Police tape also demarcated a house at the intersection of 7th and Emerson Streets to which the victim fled after being attacked.

By the time we arrived, an ambulance was on the scene. By the time we left, cops were pulling down yellow tape on Emerson while their colleagues three blocks south scoured the ground for overlooked shells.

The shots I could hear from my porch nearly a mile away.

We'll do our best to keep you in the loop.

Photograph of Decatur St. & Illinois Ave. by Mike Riggs

WUSA Channel 9 reported live from Petworth last night, interviewing concerned citizens as well as City Paper's own Ted Scheinman about recent neighborhood violence. (Scheinman and Jason Cherkis reported from Petworth here, here, and here). Lest anything be taken out of context, Scheinman warns, "City Paper sort of comes across as cop haters. Which we are not."

Check out the video:

Last night at 6:45 p.m., Keith Jarrell convened a neighborhood round table at MPD fourth district headquarters to discuss the Petworth shootings with high-ranking police officials. Chief of Police Cathy Lanier, Councilmembers Muriel Bowser and Phil Mendelson, and Lieutenant Will Manlapaz of the homicide unit addressed a packed room of concerned citizens in an occasionally contentious, mainly symbolic gathering.

"The last three or four days have been pretty gruesome," Jarrell said in his opening remarks. Fourth District Commander Linda Brown agreed, calling the past weekend "a little brutal."

"We've saturated the area," Brown said. "We've questioned a number of people, and we're trying to weed through what testimony is true and what's wrong."

Brown also expressed confidence that forensic analysis of the 9mm shells found on the Georgia and Crittenden scenes would lead to a more definitive link, and alluded to a meeting with Bowser to ensure maintaining that police presence in and around the scenes.

Read More "MPD Fourth District Headquarters: a Night at the Round Table" »

Because they'll probably be airing some repurposed City Desk footage, alongside an interview with me.

No promises.  But tune in to find out.

At the Yum's on Kennedy, we set up shop last night to film patrons on the recent Petworth shootings. Things were going just fine. It was after 11 p.m.

Then a lady came running towards us. She had a warning for us.

Something about a dog on the loose.

She ran into the Yum's. We saw the dog—a pit bull. And yes, I admit, I scurried into the Yum's. Ted, I admit, played it cool. Even though they were safe inside, people screamed some more. I may or may not have screamed like an eight-year-old.

Eventually, I calmed down enough. Ted got some footage of the pit bull. For City Desk. We are very brave. We should be given an award or a free lunch.

We also captured the musings of one Petworth resident about pit bulls, a recent stabbing, violence in general, the police, and Obama:

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.

Video by Ted Scheinman

Last night, we interviewed a number of Petworth residents about this past weekend's series of shootings. We've been covering it a lot. So we thought we should take the video camera out and talk to real people. We hit 8th and Crittenden and interviewed two residents who provided some interesting details surrounding the shootings:

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.

Video by Ted Scheinman

This past weekend, a series of shootings rattled Petworth. There was a shooting on Marlboro Place causing multiple injuries. A fatal shooting at Georgia and Allison. And a burst of gunfire at 8th and Crittenden (only a bunch of cars were shot up). It provoked a promise from D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier of a devotion of resources, manpower, etc. If you live in Petworth, Lanier asserted you'd see a "saturation" of cops.

Last night, we decided to factcheck Lanier's promise. We saw one cop on Marlboro Place. He sat in his idling cruiser, his laptop set to his AOL account. Georgia and Allison was quiet. At 8th and Crittenden, we saw only an empty cruiser parked up the block. We decided to wait and see if any real cops would ever show up.

We listened to reggae in our Corolla. We ran out of small talk. We swapped college stories. We got excited when a cab pulled up. We watched neighbors parallel park. And we got real bored and real cold. Watch:

Trouble viewing? Try the YouTube version.

Video by Ted Scheinman