Three violent crimes in Shaw with no arrests drove residents into the streets Tuesday evening alongside MPD Captain Gavin Nelson, ANC leaders and representatives from Mayor Muriel Bowser's office for a block-by-block safety walk through the neighborhood.

The Aug. 11 walk came in response to a cluster of violence over the past two weeks: a double shooting at the 1700 block of 9th Street NW on Aug. 5 that killed one man and hospitalized another, the July 29 fatal shooting of 29-year-old Keyon Malik Maynor (known as rapper FatSwagg) at the 1300 block of 5th Street NW, and an armed robbery at Shaw Skate Park in late July in which three men were held at gunpoint.

No arrests have been made in any of the three cases, WUSA9 reported.

Nelson said MPD is shifting patrol locations in response, pointing out a unit that had been moved to a specific corner along the walk route. "They're constantly monitoring the intelligence to see where it makes the most sense for them to be," he said.

But community members challenged whether patrol adjustments are enough. The walk fell on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump's National Guard deployment to D.C., which he justified in part by citing a deadly shooting in Shaw that killed a congressional intern.

That deployment has grown from roughly 800 troops to about 4,700 personnel, according to NPR. Multiple independent studies cited by NPR found the Guard's presence has had no significant effect on violent crime, with patrols concentrated in tourist corridors rather than residential neighborhoods where shootings occur. The deployment has been extended through January 2029 at a projected additional cost of $1.4 billion, according to The Well News.

ANC leader Howard Garrett said the Guard has not made Shaw safer.

"I don't feel safe with the National Guard and this proves the point that because we have more federal presence or the National Guard it doesn't solve gun violence," Garrett said. "We need to put our resources to crime intervention, crime officers, community organizations that are doing the work in the community."

Jawanna Hardy, an organizer with Guns Down Friday, a violence-intervention group active in Shaw, said the walk itself carried weight, describing how each bullet "hits an entire community."

Shaw resident Alexander Padro called the neighborhood's sense of security "a roller coaster," saying people feel comfortable outside their buildings until the next shooting sends them back indoors.

MPD statistics show a mixed picture citywide: overall crime is down 20% year-to-date compared with 2025, yet assaults with dangerous weapons are up 41%, according to DC News Now. Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, commander of Joint Task Force-DC, announced Aug. 11 that the Guard plans to expand into additional neighborhoods but did not specify which ones.

Anyone with information about the Shaw shootings can call MPD at 202-727-9099 or text 50411. Tips can remain anonymous.