Man stabbed to death in Foggy Bottom library

A man died after he was stabbed inside the West End Library in D.C.’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood, authorities say. A search for his attacker is underway.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was found suffering from a stab wound in a restroom of the library at 2301 L Street NW, just north of Washington Circle, Interim Chief of Police Jeff Carroll said.

A library patron walked into the restroom, found the injured man and went to staff members for help, Carroll said.

Second District officers responded at about 1:50 p.m. and recovered “what appeared to be a kitchen knife,” Carroll said.

Police did not share information on a suspect and said they are reviewing video footage.

The man was not a library employee, Carroll said. Many library patrons were in the building at the time of the killing.

Police could be seen going through someone’s belongings, including suitcases, a shopping bag and a duffle bag.

The library was closed Friday afternoon and night, police tape blocked the entrance.

Back in March of 2023, a man was stabbed to death in the Petworth Library on Georgia Avenue. A suspect was arrested at the scene. Police described it as a long-standing dispute between two men who knew each other.

No information has been released about a possible motive for Friday afternoon’s stabbing at the West End Library.

DC Public Libraries are safe, executive director Richard Reyes-Gavilan said. “Incidents like this are increasingly rare. Three and a half million people come to D.C. public libraries every single year, and those numbers are in our favor. Our libraries are safe, and this should never discourage anyone from visiting.”

“A dedicated police officer assigned to the library was on site at the time. No one else was harmed. To support staff affected by this traumatic event, the library will remain closed through November 8,” the library said in a statement.

The interim chief asked anyone with potentially relevant information to contact police.