1 dead, 1 injured in shooting on Interstate 295

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A man is dead and another person is recovering in the hospital after someone fired shots at an SUV on Interstate 295 in Southwest D.C.

The shooting occurred on the northbound lanes of the roadway at around 8:45 a.m. Thursday. A dark-colored car pulled up to the driver side of a Chevy SUV and fired at the vehicle.

Two men inside the SUV were wounded. Pedro Melendez Alvarado, 50, of Alexandria, Va., died at the scene, while the other victim, the passenger, was taken to the hospital suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier initially called the shooting an apparent road rage incident between two vehicles, but her assistant chief backpedaled on that later in the day.

"We don't have any information to suggest that at this time," said D.C. Police Assistant Chief Peter Newsham.

By noon, police removed the victim's body from the scene, but kept I-295 closed to canvass for evidence.

Police said they are searching for witnesses of the shooting.

"We're thinking that at that time of the morning during rush hour, we probably had a lot of people that might have seen something, so we're asking them to please help us," said Newsham.

If you have any information, you are asked to contact D.C. police at 202-727-9099.