Man arrested after string of gun threats across Southeast DC
WASHINGTON, DC – A man accused of terrorizing several Southeast DC streets with a firearm was taken into custody Wednesday after a months-long investigation connected him to multiple assaults.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Anton Smith of Northeast, was arrested following the execution of a court-authorized search warrant.
Detectives linked Smith to a series of July incidents where he allegedly pointed a gun at several victims but did not fire.
Witnesses described a tense evening on July 24 when a man moved between multiple locations in Southeast—Benning Road and C Street, 49th Street, and 51st Street—threatening people with a firearm in what appeared to be random confrontations.
Search warrant leads to arrest
The arrest came after members of the Robbery Suppression Unit executed a DC Superior Court search warrant on Wednesday. Inside the location, officers recovered the firearm believed to have been used in the assaults along with four additional guns.
Multiple charges filed
Smith has been charged with three counts of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon (Gun Pointing). Investigators continue to review whether the recovered weapons are tied to other offenses in the area.
Neighborhood shaken by incidents
Residents in the Southeast corridor say the July incidents caused fear and confusion among neighbors. Many are relieved the suspect is now in custody.
Officials have not yet released details about the investigation that led to Smith’s identification, but sources indicate the arrest followed weeks of surveillance and forensic review.
The case remains under investigation.