In the early hours of a Tuesday in April 2016, the quiet of a Forestville, Maryland neighborhood was shattered by gunfire that would leave a District Heights woman dead and a community searching for answers. Joanne Woods, a 49-year-old female, was with a group of people standing outside on Hil Mar Drive when a car approached. In an instant, a suspect inside the vehicle opened fire, unleashing a volley of bullets that would forever alter the lives of five individuals.
When Prince George's
County police officers arrived at the scene around 1:30 a.m. on April 26th, they found a chaotic and tragic scene. Joanne Woods had sustained fatal gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the location. Four other people were also struck by the gunfire. The immediate aftermath was a flurry of emergency response as the wounded were rushed to area hospitals for treatment. The severity of their injuries varied, with some in critical condition while others sustained non-life-threatening wounds.
In the days that followed, investigators worked to piece together the events of that violent morning. Detectives from the Homicide Unit promptly took over the case, expressing their belief that the shooting was not a random act of violence. They suspected that the victims were targeted by the assailant. A reward of up to $25,000 was offered for any information that could lead to an arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for the death of Joanne Woods and the injuries to the other victims. However, despite the active investigation and the public appeal for assistance, there have been no subsequent announcements regarding any arrests made or suspects identified in the case. The identity of the shooter who fled the scene in a car that morning remains publicly unknown.
