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By
Emily Nordberg
- March 11, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Suspects
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A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer testified in a preliminary hearing about a shooting in front of DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on March 7.
Vance McIlwain , 32, and Kenneth Johnson , 31, are charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for their alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that occurred on Nov. 8, 2024, on the 700 block of Chesapeake Street, SE.
Johnson is accused of aiding and abetting the offense, while McIlwain is identified as the alleged shooter.
Prosecutors stated they had extended a plea offer, which would require the defendants to plead guilty to aggravated assault while armed in exchange for the prosecution not seeking an indictment. Through the deal parties would agree to a ten year sentence. The offer was rejected.
The prosecution presented video footage from a nearby apartment building that allegedly shows two individuals, identified as McIlwain and Johnson, surveying the area before and after the shooting. Additional video clips depict the two allegedly exchanging a firearm inside the building entryway and McIlwain allegedly firing the weapon at the scene.
An officer of the MPD’s Special Mission Unit, testified he arrested the defendants and authored their arrest warrants, and later made in-court identifications. Screenshots from surveillance camera footage were submitted as exhibits that the witness used to confirm the timeline of events.
The witness acknowledged key revisions in his initial report, correcting the number of shell casings recovered as 14 and noting the omission of a bullet fragment found at the scene. He explained that much of his report relied on information relayed to him by responding officers.
During cross-examination, Johnson’s defense attorney Matthew Davies questioned the clarity of the surveillance footage in identifying the firearm being exchanged between the defendants. He emphasized that Johnson was first seen with the firearm only when it was being handed to him and there was no direct footage of where the gun came from prior to the exchange.
Davies also challenged the claim that Johnson knowingly provided the firearm, stating that Johnson handed McIlwain a black bag, which allegedly had the firearm inside, but insisted the footage lacks audio, making it not possible to confirm that Johnson had any prior knowledge the gun was inside or that it would be used in the shooting.
The witness confirmed that officers searched an apartment within the same building where surveillance footage reportedly captured the co-defendants watching the incident location, exchanging a firearm, and entering the unit. Inside, investigators say they recovered narcotics, ammunition, and a firearm part commonly used to modify a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic firearm.
The prosecution argued that Johnson’s actions suggest a consciousness of guilt because video evidence shows him in the searched apartment with changed clothes after the shooting.
Judge Ryan ruled that there is strong probable cause against McIlwain, citing multiple gunshots fired in broad daylight, and determined home confinement was not an option due to public safety concerns.
Judge Ryan noted the weight of evidence against Johnson was more complicated but still significant, referencing Johnson’s prior firearms offenses and a past robbery charge.
Both defendants will remain in custody.
Parties are slated to reconvene June 27.