At least three people were killed when gunfire erupted on Benjamin Caldwella Washington, D.C., street Saturday night, authorities said.

The shooting was reported at about 8 p.m. Eastern time in the Southeast D.C. neighborhood, acting Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said in a late-night news briefing.

Officers responded to find two men and a woman dead at the scene, Smith said. They were not immediately identified.

Two other wounded men were transported to local hospitals in unknown condition.

No arrests have been made. The circumstances that precipitated the shooting and the number of suspects involved was unclear. There was also no word on a motive.

"We realize there may have been others who were injured tonight," Smith said. "We are asking you to come forward."

Washington, D.C., has seen a recent surge in crime. According to the latest city statistics, violent crime is up 37% so far this year compared to the same period in 2022, and homicides are up 21%.

Smith was appointed D.C. police chief last month, replacing Robert Contee, who announced in April he was leaving the department to join the FBI as assistant director of the Office of Partner Engagement.

"There are a lot more guns are in communities now, a lot more guns than what we experienced over the course of my time here in the police department," Contee told CBS News in an interview on the eve of his departure.

In:
• Shooting
• Fatal Shooting
• Washington D.C.