September 2026 News Bytes
By • September 17, 2026 0 375
By Francis Rienzo
Teenage Girl Dies After Falling into Potomac
On Aug. 22, 15-year-old Serene Tayari of Arlington died after being pulled from the Potomac River near Georgetown Waterfront Park shortly after 7:45 p.m. by officers from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Harbor Unit. Unconscious and not breathing, Tayari was transported to a nearby hospital by DC Fire and EMS. According to MPD, she “slipped while sitting on a ledge.” Her family set up a GoFundMe page for medical and memorial expenses.
Serene Tayari
MPD Officer’s Death Believed Self-Inflicted
A Metropolitan Police Department officer died on Aug. 31, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shooting took place around 5 a.m. at the Second District police station at 3320 Idaho Ave. NW, near Washington National Cathedral. The officer, who has not been publicly identified, died after being transported to George Washington University Hospital.
Bergen Donates Al-Qaeda Archive to GU
Peter Bergen, a CNN reporter since the 1990s who produced CNN’s 1997 interview in Afghanistan with terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, donated his archive of al-Qaeda materials to Georgetown University on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The trove comprises some 150,000 pages of digital and physical items on the network; its name means “the base” in Arabic.
Photo of Peter Bergen
GU President Peñalver to Be Inaugurated Oct. 9
Eduardo M. Peñalver, 49th president of Georgetown University, will be inaugurated on Friday, Oct. 9. At 10 a.m., a Mass honoring Jesuit and Catholic traditions will be held in historic Healy Hall’s Gaston Hall auditorium. Dr. Peñalver’s installation, featuring musical performances and his inauguration address, will take place in McDonough Arena. Both events will be livestreamed.
Photo of President Peñalver
International Students’ Work Approvals Halted
Following two memos from the Department of Homeland Security, Georgetown University will refuse to allow international students, F-1 visa holders, to work off-campus unless it is necessary for graduation. This restricts them from pursuing elective jobs and internships that are not required for their degrees.
Fallen Dupont Circle Tree Mourned With Notes
After an intense thunderstorm on the night of Sept. 3, a decades-old tree snapped in half and fell in Dupont Circle. Many residents of Dupont and other neighborhoods — and even out-of-town visitors — have attached poems, photos and handwritten notes of mourning to the still-standing trunk. The National Park service is responsible for cleaning up after the storm; residents have urged them not to remove the tree.
Fallen Dupont Circle Tree
