A shooting broke out in southeast Washington, DC Wednesday morning, tragically killing a Metro employee named Robert Cunningham. At least three people were also injured, the suspect is in custody.
The shooting began with a Metrobus dispute
The incident happened at the Potomac Avenue metro station, and it all started with an argument that began on a Metrobus, according to NBC4 Washington.
Apparently, the gunman followed the first victim off the bus and shot him in the legs. The gunman then walked onto the platform and soon made contact with another person who was buying a Metrocard, who was also shot in the leg and dragged through the turnstile.
A third person was approached by the attacker as Robert Cunningham, a mechanic, intervened. The 64-year-old traffic employee was shot dead.
Luckily, the killing spree ended shortly thereafter and the suspect was arrested by the authorities.
The three surviving victims were treated at a nearby hospital. Two of them were treated for leg injuries while the third was treated for a finger.
Witness says shooter dubbed himself ‘The Killmonger’: ‘I’m lucky to be alive’
A witness who was at the scene of the shooting spoke to DC News Now reporter Joseph Olmo, and he recalled the shooter referring to himself as “the killmonger.”
“He ran after me and said, ‘Today you’re safe. I’m the killmonger.’”
The witness then described the incident as a “mass shooting” and that the gunman “shot everyone on the scene” rather than targeting specific individuals.
He remarked, “I’m lucky to be alive.”
“I AM HAPPY TO BE ALIVE”: A witness told me this shooting began on a bus and continued down to the Potomac Ave subway station.
He said the shooter appeared to have fired at random and referred to himself as a “kill monger.”
Witness didn’t want to be on camera. pic.twitter.com/7MPLBL9MXT
— Joseph Olmo (@ReporterJoseph) February 1, 2023
Robert Cunningham will be remembered for his “heroic” final act
After the incident, Robert was remembered as a “heroic employee” in a statement from the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“Metro mourns the loss of a heroic employee, Robert Cunningham, who intervened on behalf of a customer at the Potomac Avenue Station today and was the victim of senseless gun violence. Mr. Cunningham was 64 years old and a mechanic in our Energy Department. In his memory, Metro lowered its flags to half-staff during this time of mourning.”
Ashan Benedict, Deputy Chief of Police for the Metro Transit Police Department, told reporters, “His heroism must be recognized today.”
UPDATE: @DCPoliceDept and @wmataGM confirm that the person shot and killed at the Potomac Ave station today was a Metro Transit employee trying to help de-escalate the situation. He called the employee “a hero”.
— Jummy Olabanji (@JummyNBC) February 1,
There is no further news on the situation at this time and we extend our condolences to Robert Cunningham’s family.
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