WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Three people were charged with first degree murder on Wednesday in a drive-by shooting spree that left four dead in Washington D.C. the previous night, the deadliest shooting in the U.S. capital in years.

The charged were Nathaniel Simms, Orlando Carter and one male juvenile, whose name was not released because of his age. The gunmen opened fire on a crowd gathered in a Southeast DC street on Tuesday evening. Police confirmed four people were killed and five others injured. They earlier said three were dead.

Investigators carry away a victim of a shooting in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, March 30, 2010. Three people were killed Tuesday night in what appears to be two drive-by shootings in southeast Washington D.C., police told Xinhua

The shooting prompted a high speed chase, with DC police chasing the suspects into the neighboring state of Maryland, where two police patrol cars crashed, and five officers were slightly injured.

Police are investigating whether Tuesday's shooting was linked to two shootings earlier this month in Southeast DC.