4 Men Traveling In Separate Cars Hit by Gunfire

Four men in separate cars were wounded early yesterday when gunfire erupted at North Capitol Street and New York Avenue, D.C. police said.

Police said the shots might have been fired from one or more cars. The matter is under investigation, they said.

Police Cmdr. Lamar Greene, head of the department's 5th District, said all four cars were going north on North Capitol when the shots rang out about 3:15 a.m.

One victim was shot in the left leg, one in the chest, one in the neck and one in the right knee, said Capt. Marvin Lyons of the 5th District. None of the wounds was considered life-threatening, but two men, ages 18 and 24, were in serious condition at hospitals. The other two are 21 and 26.

It was not clear whether the men knew one another.

The 21-year-old man either drove himself to a hospital after the shooting or was driven there by an acquaintance, police said. The others were transported by ambulances.

Quoting from an initial police report, Lyons said the cars involved were a Toyota, a Chrysler, a Pontiac and a Mazda. The drivers of the Toyota, Chrysler and Mazda were hit by bullets, as was a passenger in the Pontiac.

The driver of the Mazda ducked when he heard the gunshot, according to the report. As a result, he lost control of the vehicle and it slammed into a barrier beside the road.

"The motive in this case remains a part of the ongoing investigation," the police statement said.