Dupont and Logan residents were recently jolted by two murders of neighborhood residents. The first was during the early morning hours of Saturday. September 21. Chet Levitt a 30-year-old attorney with the employment and civil rights law firm, Cashdan & Golden. was shot to death near the corner of 12th and N Streets.

According to his law partners. Levitt and another attorney left the firm's Connecticut Avenue office following completion of a late evening project and stopped at the Front Page restaurant for a snack, following which Levitt, a 6-foot. 3-inch, 240-pound ex-Columbia University football player apparently went to look for an ATM machine and then may have headed in the direction of 17th Street.

Persons with any information that might assist the police with their investigation arc urged to call Detective Todd Amis of tile Homicide Branch at 727-4347 (or leave a confidential voice mail message by calling 2 -4932 and entering box number 34142).

The firm's senior partner, David R. Cashdan, in stating to The InTowner how greatly respected Chet Levitt was by the members of his firm, said, "This tragedy has placed all of us in despair. Chet was extremely personable. He possessed exceptional legal talents, worked endless hours, was dedicated to eliminating discrimination in the workplace, and was dearly loved by his colleagues and clients."

To honor their slain colleague, the firm has created the Chet D. Levitt Employment Law Fund in conjunction with the National Employment Rights Institute. The fund's purpose will be to provide financial support and other assistance to attorneys in the DC area bringing employment discrimination cases which involve matters of substantial public interest. Persons wishing to contribute may do so by sending cheeks (payable to "NERI—Chet Levitt Employment Law Fund") in care of Cashdan & Golden, 1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Another disturbing neighborhood murder occurred on the night of Wednesday, September 25 inside an apartment at 1616 16th Street, where 27-year-old Michael Lehrer was found beaten to death. It is believed that the victim may have met someone he knew at one of the neighborhood bars or on 17th Street that night.

As in the Levitt case, any one who might have information which could assist the police with their investigation are urged to call the Homicide Branch at 727-4347. Ask for Detective Anthony McGinnis (or leave a confidential voice mail message by calling 727-4932 and entering box number 34122).

While the recent high-visibility violent crimes reported above have upset residents, particularly alarming was the August 31 daylight gang attack, with bullets flying, on an Hispanic playing basketball at Stead Playground on P Street by three Hispanic gang members. Put in immediate danger were the mothers and children who were also using the playground, which has a special toddlers section.

It is suspected that the shooting may have been in retaliation for the victim possibly having sought to leave a gang. Three arrests were subsequently made.

What also disturbs Dupont residents is the seemingly more open appearance of gangs in the neighborhood. The InTowner has learned that the police department believes that some of the gang problem has begun to drift down from Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights; we have been told the department is taking steps to address this problem.

Possibly related to the infiltration of gang members into the area were the several incidents, reported to this newspaper but not to the Third District police, of Hispanic youths threatening shoppers and residents frequenting 17th Street with physical harm, especially during warm summer afternoon.

The police stress the importance of residents and business people calling 911 if they see anything that looks like criminal activity, especially if weapons are in evidence; these reports are given the highest priority, we have been assured. Officers, very possibly in plainclothes, will be alerted and may be able to observe law-breaking, especially if callers provide accurate physical descriptions and information what the suspect is wearing.

· Gladden Alley: woman robbed of bike by 2 persons (7pm. Tue., 9/10);
· 1800 blk. Calif. delivery man robbed of 2 pizzas (9:15pm, Thu., 9/19);
· 18^th & Church: woman struck in face & robbed of bike (Noon, Tue., 9/17)
· Dupont Circle: man struck in head & face, & robbed of cell phone & watch (10:30pm, SUIT., 9/1;);
· 16th & Columbia: man punched & robbed of bike & tools by 3 men (4:30pm, Sun., 9/8);
· N & Conn.: woman threatened with club & robbed of wallet & keys ( lam Wed., 9/18);
1400 blk. Corcoran: woman punched & robbed purse & cash; Andre Veney & Michael Daniel arrested (4:l5PTI1, Thu., 9/19);
· 10th & N: man threatened by two others with razor & robbed of briefcase (7am. Wed., 9/18);
· 2500 blk. Ontario: robbed at gunpoint of cash (6:15am, Thu.,9/12);
· 17^th & P: woman struck & robbed of wallet by 5 men ( 12:45pm, Thu., 9/19);
· 1400 blk. Q: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint of purse, wallet & cash (Midnight, Mon., 9/9);
· 16th & R: woman punched in face & robbed of purse & cash by 2 men (4pm Mon., 9/9);
· 1700 blk. R: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint of wallets, cash & watches by 2 others (10:30pm, Sun., 9/15);
· 1400 blk. Rhode Is.: woman robbed at gunpoint of cash (1 1am, Fri., 9/13);
· 1400 blk. S: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint of cash & watches by 2 others ( 10pm, Fri., 9/13);
· 1400 blk. Swann: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint of cash (11:15pm, Wed.. 9/113);
· 18th & Swann: convenience store robbed of cash & food stamps by 2 persons, possibly with gun (1pm, Tue., 9/17);
· 1300 blk. U: store robbed at gunpoint of cash & misc. mdse. (12:30pm, Sat., 9/14);
· 1800 blk. Vernon: man robbed of bike (Midnight, Sat., 9/14);
· 2000 blk. 18th: purse snatched (2pm, Tue., 9/10);