A man was killed and five others — including two children — were injured in a barrage of gunfire on Wednesday in the nation's capital.

The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. in the Carver Langston neighbourhood of Washington, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said.

Investigators believe the suspects exited a vehicle and then began shooting into a crowd of people on the street. Multiple people were shot.

One of the victims, an adult man, was killed. Two men, a woman and a 9-year-old were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. A 12-year-old later arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound and is also believed to be a victim in the shooting, Smith said.

The shooting comes as the District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp increase in violent crime, which went up 39 per cent in 2023. The increase was largely fuelled by a 35 per cent rise in homicides and growth in carjackings, which nearly doubled.

Smith has pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would strengthen penalties for gun offenses in the nation's capital.