Heated town hall meeting held in NoMa after deadly shooting near King Street Oyster Bar
Emergency town hall held after deadly shooting in NoMa
Chief Pamela Smith met with NoMa residents at an emergency town hall meeting on Thursday evening. The meeting, held at Mount Airy Baptist Church on North Capitol Street, became heated as community members voiced their frustrations over rising crime in the area. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu has the story.
WASHINGTON - Detectives in D.C. are still searching for the suspects involved in a quadruple shooting over the weekend that left two people dead. The shooting occurred on M Street, just steps away from King Street Oyster Bar.
Chief Pamela Smith met with NoMa residents at an emergency town hall meeting on Thursday evening.
The meeting, held at Mount Airy Baptist Church on North Capitol Street, became heated as community members voiced their frustrations over rising crime in the area.
The shooting happened early Saturday morning and resulted in the deaths of 18-year-old Terrell Osbourne Jr., a recent Dunbar High School graduate, and 33-year-old Antonio Williams.
A suspect driving a white Honda Accord reportedly opened fire, also injuring a man and a woman.
Following the shooting, Chief Smith temporarily closed King Street Oyster Bar for 96 hours, citing a safety violation related to the bar’s outdoor furniture.
She claimed the setup created an environment that contributed to the crowd gathering before the shooting.
King Street Oyster Bar reopens after deadly shooting
The King Street Oyster Bar in Northeast D.C. has reopened after a four-day closure ordered by Police Chief Pamela Smith in response to a quadruple shooting that occurred over the weekend.
The restaurant has since reopened.
Chief Smith addressed concerns that her department was blaming the bar for the violence.
"That’s not what I said. We want to make sure the security measures were handled appropriately," Chief Smith stated.
Restaurant owner Rick Allison attended Thursday's meeting and apologized for not putting away the chairs. He emphasized that the restaurant is cooperating with police by providing security camera footage and other information.
Residents at the meeting expressed frustration over ongoing crime issues on M Street. Police data and resident reports indicate a surge in criminal activity, including shootings, assaults, and carjackings, near a specific apartment building on M Street since the beginning of 2024.
Residents criticized police for what they perceive as a lack of proactive engagement, noting that officers often remain in their cars.
Chief Smith responded by pledging to increase police presence on foot and bike patrols to build stronger community relationships.
"If we are sitting in cars in communities all the time, then we are not building those relationships," she said. "I do know that there are some officers on foot and bike patrol, but we want to make sure that is transferred to the entire district."
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact police or leave an anonymous tip.