A man has been killed and five injured in a shooting on the streets of Washington DC.

Gunfire erupted in the courtyard of an apartment complex in the Columbia Heights neighbourhood just after 10pm on Thursday night.

The complex is around two miles from the White House.

Police have not confirmed whether they have arrested a suspect but Reuters news agency cited a law enforcement source as saying it was not an "active shooter" situation.

Police Commander Stuart Emerman said the injuries ranged from "non-critical to critical" and all were being treated in hospital.


They are four men and one women. No children were among the victims.

When asked how many shots had been fired, Cdr Emerman said: "Multiple shell casings were at the scene so it could be an accurate assessment that [witnesses] did hear a lot of gunshots."