Titled:   'Give Me Your Money or I'll Kill You'

The gun-free shangri-las of the District and Maryland erupted yesterday in a rolling wave of violence, gunfire and car-jackings. This was an unchallenged romp by an armed gang that took full advantage of the safe, gun-free environment and took everything they wanted:

At a news conference outside police headquarters, D.C. officers said they believe the crimes started early Saturday in Northwest when a group of young men carjacked a Mazda 626. The next day, thieves stole a black Jeep Liberty parked near 12th and Varnum streets NE. Police believe that Jeep was used in many crimes that followed.

The next robbery, police believe, took place about 11:45 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of Fairmont Street NW. The crimes picked up again about 1 p.m. Monday when armed men attempted a carjacking in Mount Rainier, police said.

In the next few minutes, heavily armed men committed three more robberies in the Hyattsville area, pistol-whipping four victims in one of the holdups.

And it didn't stop there. The police seem to be dumbfounded and are making a slow start towards investigating the crimes:

"Hopefully, we'll get some fingerprints," McCoy said. "There are definitely other people out there."

Police said they were still trying to piece together the exact number and sequence of robberies and carjackings and were culling through reports to see whether other crimes might be connected to the group.

The sheep people are concerned:

Yesterday, some of those who live or attend schools in neighborhoods targeted by the robbers said they were shocked by the brazen crimes.

"It's so scary," said Lauren Treacy, 18, a freshman at Catholic. "I know I have to be careful."

About two miles away, at Howard, where one of the carjackings occurred, freshman Kimberly Williams, 19, was trying to come to terms with the suddenness of it all.

"I wouldn't expect that to happen here in broad daylight," she said.

You usually get what you vote for.

Hat-tip to Ravenwood