Violence may seem to be rising in D.C., but police say there is no citywide surge.

According to police, the violence has been in short, intense bursts, driven by conflicts between small groups.

Homicide numbers in the District are down this year, but this sudden burst of violence is raising new questions.

Police report 18 homicides to date for 2026. This is in comparison to 41 this time last year – which is a 56 percent drop.

But since April 1, MPD report seven homicides, including Tuesday’s murders of two boys ages 12 and 13.

“We’re still processing the scene but we do know there were a large number of shots fired in a very small period of time,” said MPD Police Chief Jeffrery Carroll at the Tuesday shooting scene.

SEE ALSO | Second boy dies in shooting near Northeast DC convenience store; $50K reward offered

So why now?

Police say this isn’t random. Instead, it’s targeted violence, driven by conflicts between small groups of people.

The kind of disputes that can quickly spiral.

“Over the past week, we’ve seen an increase in fatal shootings. It appears to be interpersonal violence between groups of individuals,” added Carroll.

With easy access to guns, even minor disputes can turn deadly – even with police seizing between 40 to 50 firearms in a typical week.

MPD said in 2025 they removed almost 3,000 guns off the streets.

In addition, with the warmer weather more people are gathering outdoors.

Cities often see short-term spring or summer spikes in crime.

Furthermore, MPD says the violence is concentrated in specific neighborhoods, especially parts of the southeast.

To combat spikes in crime, MPD will often respond by flooding high-crime hot spots with officers – which this year has meant federal agents, including ATF, Secret Service, and the National Guard.

Even with the recent spike in murders, D.C. remains on track for one of its lowest homicide years in decades.

A D.C. police officer was arrested and charged with sexual solicitation of a minor and child pornography.

Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Matthew Mahl, who previously served as chairman of the D.C. Police Union, was arrested in Harford County, Maryland.

MPD revoked Mahl’s police powers and placed him on administrative leave, a spokesperson said. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office contacted MPD’s internal affairs division shortly after he was arrested, they said.

“The allegations in this case are extremely disturbing, and in direct contrast to the values of the Metropolitan Police Department. MPD’s Internal Affairs Division will investigate violations of MPD policy once the criminal investigation concludes,” a statement said.

Court records show Mahl is being held without bond and is scheduled for a bond review hearing on Wednesday.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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