18-year-old Ashalei Hinds shot and killed at the Embassy Suites in the Chevy Chase Pavilion in Northwest D.C.

In Washington, D.C.’s first reported homicide of 2024, an 18-year-old woman was tragically shot and killed at a hotel in Friendship Heights.

The search for the shooter is currently underway. The incident unfolded shortly after the new year began when D.C. paramedics responded to a shooting report on the seventh floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW.

Upon arrival, they were informed that the victim, identified as Ashalei Hinds of Clinton, Maryland, was in cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Hinds, a freshman at Louisiana State University, as confirmed by the school on Tuesday, became the victim of a tragic incident.

According to a law enforcement source knowledgeable about the investigation, approximately 10 individuals were present at a party within a hotel room when an unidentified shooter unleashed gunfire.

Witnesses from Embassy Suites reported hearing two gunshots and subsequent screams around 1:15 a.m. The hotel rooms are equipped with a picture window adjacent to the door, and in the room where the shooting occurred, this window was found shattered.

The nature of the damage remains uncertain, whether caused by gunfire or another force.

It remains uncertain whether Hinds was the intended target of the assailant. Law enforcement is actively searching for a male suspect who fled the scene clad in black attire and a black ski mask.

In a recent update on Tuesday, police shared an image of the suspect, captured by surveillance cameras. Additionally, investigators are seeking up to six individuals who were present in the room but departed before law enforcement’s arrival.

Video footage depicts police vehicles near an entrance to Embassy Suites, situated just short of a block from the Friendship Heights Metro station on the D.C.-Maryland line. The hotel management has affirmed their cooperation with the ongoing police investigation.

Tragically, Hinds lost her life just as D.C. concluded the preceding year with 274 homicides. As per initial data disclosed on Monday, the homicide count in 2023 marked the highest in over two decades, dating back to 1997 when there were 302 incidents.

Homicides witnessed an approximate 35% increase from the figures reported in 2022, as per data from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is actively engaged in efforts to reverse this concerning trend through new legislation that is currently pending approval.

Individuals possessing potentially pertinent information are urged to collaborate with the police in their investigation.