A shooter armed with a paintball gun opened fire on a group of interns late Sunday as they stood outside their residence hall near Union Station, they told police.
Six people were bruised and cut after someone in a car began shooting the paintball gun outside The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars' residential facility in the NoMa neighborhood, a police report says.
Patrick Kalie was hit in the ribs on his left side.
"I leaned over and touched [the place the paintball hit] and was like 'Ah! It's wet. I was shot,'" he said. "Then I looked at my hand and it was green paint, and I've never been so happy in my life to see green paint."
The interns went outside about 11:30 p.m. Sunday after a fire alarm sounded in their building on the 1000 block of 3rd Street NE, the report says.
They were standing across from the building when someone in a white Dodge Charger began shooting, they told police.
The interns were terrified the shooter was opening fire on them with a real gun, Kalie said.
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"People hit the floor immediately," he said. "People were very confused."
Six people were struck with paintballs, with one victim hit in the eye, causing swelling, the police report says. A photo obtained by News4 shows a dark bruise one of the residents received. All six people refused medical help.
The car fled westbound on K Street NE, according to the report, which classifies the incident as a simple assault.
Information on a suspect was not available immediately.
The Washington Center connects college students with internships, among other offerings.
Administrators said in a statement that they are increasing security and "referring students to professional counselors as needed."
Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.
