Two teenagers have been slapped with serious charges after gunplay erupted in D.C. street, endangering high school students and sending a community into upheaval. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the charges against Saki Frost, 17, and Azhari Graves, 18, following the melee that took place near Dunbar High School earlier this month.

The altercation unfolded near the educational institution on May 3 and involved a barrage of bullets towards a passing sedan. A stunned witness compared the sound of the shooting to “machine gun fire,” a chilling detail that reflects the gravity of the incident. In a violent display caught on video, Graves and Frost were seen brandishing firearms minutes before they allegedly unleashed their lethal intent.

As chaos ensued, a student reportedly suffered a near-miss, sustaining a graze wound to the head from the spray of bullets. The shooters fled the scene, but their freedom was short-lived; police swiftly located their vehicle and took them into custody later that day. The recovery of 29 shell casings and several bullet fragments from classrooms inside and the exterior of the school paints a sobering picture of the crime scene, underscoring the harm that could have been far greater.

Frost faces an adult-sized legal battle charged with assault with intent to murder while armed and a companion charge of assault with intent to kill while armed, according to the Department of Justice. Not to be overshadowed, Graves is up against his own set of charges: assault with intent to kill while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. Both defendants have also been charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and they currently sit in jail without bond, with a preliminary hearing penciled in for late May.

The investigation is being spearheaded by the Metropolitan Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand of the Major Crimes Section leading the legal charge against the accused.