Police Charge Woman In Late December Southeast, D.C. Shooting Investigation
Friday, January 30, 2026, 7:00 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
WASHINGTON, DC.- On Wednesday, a 35-year-old Washington, D.C., woman was taken into custody and charged in connection with a shots-fired incident that occurred late last month inside a Southeast, D.C., establishment.
According to D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll, on Sunday, December 28, 2025, shortly before 1:00 a.m., members of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s First District responded to a report of a shooting at a business establishment, located on the 400 Block of 8th Street in Southeast, D.C.
Upon arrival, Responding Police Officers learned that while inside the establishment, a female suspect and a female victim interacted, which quickly escalated into an argument. Security Officers for the establishment intervened. Later in the early morning hours, the victim was leaving the establishment when the female suspect approached her and struck her in the head with a handgun.
The female suspect then moved a short distance away and opened fire, missing the victim and causing property damage. The suspect then fled the scene.
Based on witness accounts and area video surveillance footage, Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Ashleigh Hale, 35, of Southeast, D.C., and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Hale was located and taken into custody and formally charged with one count of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. She was processed on the charge and detained pending future court proceedings in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
