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According to NBC Washington, a shooting occurred at the Northwest Washington, D.C., Days Inn hotel located at 4400 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008.
At about 3:30 a.m., police began receiving reports of gunfire coming from the hotel in the Van Ness neighborhood. They arrived to find two women with gunshot wounds in the hotel. One of the women was found in the lobby and the other in a hotel room. While one was transported to the hospital for her injuries, the other died at the scene. Two men were reported to have taken private transportation to the hospital for gunshot wounds related to the hotel shooting.
An investigation has determined that a party was being held in the room where the gunshots were fired. They are still working to identify any suspects and what led up to the shooting.
This is not the first incident at the hotel. Many neighborhood members have made complaints about the hotel to Second District Commander Duncan Bedlion. In fact, the police have been called as many as 278 times in the past two years. These calls are disorderly disturbance incidents such as drug complaints and welfare checks.
Attorney contributor Laurence Banville works with victims of violent crimes, like hotel shootings. During a recent interview, he outlined some critical information regarding when victims can sue for being shot inside a hotel.
"Property owners, including hotel owners, much administer a duty of care to protect their guests and staff from preventable dangers. Many hotels are equipped with security cameras, ample lighting, and keyed entrances to reduce the risk of violent crime, like shootings, on their property. Hotel owners can be held accountable for foreseeable crime on their property if they fail to provide a level of security. This can include shootings that occur on the premises. If a hotel is aware of an increase in crime in the area or has a history of criminal activity, it would be responsible for increasing its security. Failure to do so could lead a court to rule it was negligent and therefore liable."
"Tragic deadly shootings often leave the victims and their families with long-term suffering. Too often, the criminal justice courts will not provide sufficient restitution to cover the damages caused. An experienced violent crimes attorney can help victims and their families determine if they can file a civil lawsuit based on the security negligence of the hotel."
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