Drive-by shooting in Washington, DC, injures 9 amid July 4th celebrations

A drive-by shooting early on Wednesday left at least nine people injured during Fourth of July celebrations in the nation's capital, according to police.

According to Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons, all nine of the victims of the shooting near Meade Street in the Northeast section of Washington, DC, did not sustain serious injuries.

In a video statement posted to Twitter, Parsons claimed that the shots had been fired from a dark-coloured SUV that had been travelling down Meade Street.

"As it drove through the street, it stopped and at least one person from the vehicle fired shots in the direction of some of our residents that were outside just celebrating the Fourth of July," Parsons said. "It appears that the shooting was targeted towards those residents and victims that were struck."

The shooting was reported to police just before 1 am, according to Parsons. Parsons stated that there were shootings, but he did not specify whether all nine of the injured had gunshot wounds.

According to him, some victims were taken to hospitals by first responders, while others went there on their own.

Approximately 5 miles and a few blocks, respectively, separate the shooting location from the US Capitol, according to the police.

According to Parsons, the SUV was being sought by police. It was not immediately clear whether or not the investigators had named any suspects.

CNN reported that, according to the Gun Violence Archive, at least 350 mass shootings have been reported in the US so far this year. This organisation defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend, which also saw numerous shootings across the nation, coincided with the shooting in Washington.

Five people were killed and two boys were injured in a shooting on Monday night in Philadelphia. In Fort Worth, Texas, a shooting that same night left three people dead and eight others injured.

Authorities reported that two people were killed and 28 injured in a shooting in Baltimore early on Sunday.