Man Fatally Stabbed Inside West End Library

Police responded to the library at 2301 L Street NW around 1:50 p.m. on November 6 after a patron found a stabbed man in a restroom. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not identified a suspect, and the case remains under investigation.

Interim police Chief Jeffery Carroll said detectives believe the stabbing took place inside the restroom. He said the victim did not enter the library or restroom after being stabbed. Investigators are reviewing library video, and a knife was recovered at the scene. Several people were inside the building when the victim was found, Carroll said, calling the incident “very concerning.”

Richard Reyes-Gavilan, executive director of the D.C. library system, noted that the West End branch has a dedicated safety officer. He urged people not to avoid the city’s libraries because of the killing, noting that 3.5 million people visit D.C. Public Libraries each year. The investigation is ongoing.