A shooting defendant claimed he was acting in self-defense during opening statements on April 22, before DC Superior Court Judge Judith Pipe.
Donnell Wells, 36, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault knowingly while armed, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in a shooting on the 500 block of Newcomb Street, SE. The incident occurred on Aug. 1, 2024 and two individuals suffered from gunshot wounds.
The prosecution claimed that Wells was hanging out with a friend on a shared balcony when one of the neighbors asked them to turn down their music.
According to the prosecution, Wells started yelling at the neighbor, threatening her. The neighbor’s son came outside to defend his mother. That’s when Wells pulled out a gun and pointed it at them, claimed the prosecutor. The neighbor lunged at Wells, attempting to wrestle the gun away.
The prosecution says that’s when Wells fired six shots, two of which allegedly hit the neighbor’s son in the abdomen and one that struck the neighbor’s brother in the neck. The neighbor called 911 as Wells is said to have escaped through a vertical crawlspace, smashing a window into the apartment below.
The prosecution told the jury that during the trial, they will hear testimony from the victims as well as from the downstairs neighbors, whose apartment was breached during Wells’ escape. They also said the jury would hear a recording of Wells saying saying he “boasts that he got them.”
Brandon Burrell, Wells’ attorney, told the jury, “Wells was fighting for his life.” He stated that the neighbors misidentified Wells and were under the impression that he was someone with whom they had an existing issue. Burrell said, “they were looking for trouble and they found it.”
According to Burrell, the neighbor and her son approached Wells armed and pinned him down. The neighbor directed her son to shoot Wells, according to Burrell, which prompted Wells to grab the gun from the neighbor.
“Every person has the right to defend themselves,” said Burrell, as he told the jury that Wells only shot in self-defense. Burrell ended his statements stating, “it will be illuminated what happened in that room.”
The prosecution called a forensic DNA analyst who tested two firearms and six cartridge casings linked to this case.
According to the witness, both of the firearms very likely had traces of Wells’ DNA on them, but one had a significantly stronger result than the other. The neighbor and her son’s DNA were not present in the samples.
The witness stated that there was insufficient DNA evidence found on all six cartridge casings, so no conclusion could be drawn from the remnants.
The prosecution also called a patrol officer who explained he responded to the scene after a neighbor alerted him of the shooting in the street.
The officer’s body-worn camera footage showed him entering the apartment and finding one victim on the ground, holding his abdomen, complaining he was shot.
The officer spoke to the victim’s mother, who directed him to the adjoining apartment, saying that someone was fleeing the scene. The officer stated he entered the apartment and found it in disarray.
Parties are slated to reconvene April 23.
