Three people were wounded on Friday after a gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon in an upscale neighborhood of the US capital, police said.
The Connecticut Avenue-Van Ness neighborhood of Washington was on lockdown after the mid-afternoon shooting and residents were evacuated as police hunted for the gunman.
Assistant police chief Stuart Emerman said three people had been taken to hospital -- two adults who were in critical but stable condition and a girl with a minor gunshot wound.
Emerman told reporters police did not have any suspects in custody and were conducting a search of homes and apartment buildings in the area.
"We do not have a motive at this time," Emerman said. "We've locked down the neighborhood."
Neighborhood residents could be seen being evacuated by police, who swarmed the area with dozens of heavily-armed officers.
A number of ambulances were also on the scene.
Social media videos appeared to record lengthy bursts of automatic gunfire near a secondary school and a university in the neighborhood, which also houses a number of embassies.
Police were seen pointing weapons upward at an apartment building as they escorted residents from the area where the shooting occurred.
{{/usCountry}}Police were seen pointing weapons upward at an apartment building as they escorted residents from the area where the shooting occurred.
{{/usCountry}}The University of the District of Columbia, across the street from the location of the shooting, went into lockdown.
"Active shooting incident near student housing located on Van Ness Street/Connecticut Avenue NW. The suspect remains on the loose," the school said in a tweeted statement.
"Law enforcement is on the scene. Take shelter and stay in place until further notice."