Scott McCabe, The Examiner
2008-04-30 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

A student at a Northeast vocational education school shot an administrator and a guest Tuesday, then carjacked two vehicles and fired on police during a harrowing chase, according to police.

No motive had been established Tuesday evening for the violent spree that began at the Excel Institute. Police said they had found no indication the attack was linked to the rash of shootings that have plagued the 5th Police District in the last month.

 “We just know that he was very agitated,” said D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

Both victims were taken to an area hospital and were expected to survive.

The shootings occurred shortly before D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas, Jr. held a press conference downtown announcing plans to stem the attacks in the Fifth Ward. There have been 17 homicides in the area this year, seven coming in the last month.

It was the second day in a row when shootings occurred at roughly the same time that city leaders were announcing plans to stem violence in Northeast. Police have doubled the amount of officers in the ward’s most troubled neighborhood.

 The student, described as a young man in his 20s wearing a blue business suit, walked into the institute at 2851 V St. NE, about 2:15 p.m., and fired several times, striking one young school administrator in the cheek, police officials said.

He then quickly left the facility, squeezing off several more rounds, this time wounding a young woman in the upper torso, said police.

The man then stole a car, firing at the pursuing police cruisers and blasting out several windows, according to an account by police. At 12th and D streets NE, he jumped out of the car, and tried to get into several other vehicles before he hijacked a pest control pickup truck.

Police continued to pursue him for about four miles to C and 19th streets NE, where officers boxed in the vehicle with their patrol cars and took the suspect into custody.

The Excel Institute was founded in 1997 by former Washington Redskin George Starke, and John Lyon, chief executive officer of Parking Management Inc.

The school provides job skills, career and technical education to those 16 years and older who are seek a better life, including high school dropouts, people with a history of crime or substance abuse and disabled people, according to Excel’s Web site.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com