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Three people were arrested for a stabbing in Northwest Washington on Tuesday night during which, police say, two of the adult suspects held a young person down while the other stabbed him multiple times.

Authorities are now calling it a hate crime. Gay slurs were used during the assault, police say.

The incident occurred in the 600 block of T Street, right in front of the newly reopened Howard Theatre, about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Police say that the victim, a 16-year-old boy, got into a fight with two men and a woman on the busy street. The suspects then chased him, and MPD officials say when they caught him, one of the men and the woman held him down while the third suspect stabbed him multiple times.

"It scares you more than anything, especially if you are a parent and you are a child in that age group," D.C. Resident Kaine Hampton said.

The suspects were later stopped by police on 7th Street and positively identified by the victim and witnesses. Police say they are all charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment after the attack, which has left the neighborhood that's in the midst of a development boom. Besides the reopening of the famous venue, older homes reflect a bygone charm while new condominiums are going up just feet away.

However, some longtime residents of the neighborhood say that despite the new investment in the area, they also worry about a resurgence in crime, which has included a spike in robberies and car break-ins so far this summer.

"Ten years ago, it was awful," neighborhood resident Robin Brock said. "Five years ago, it got better, and now I feel like it's just going backwards."