A homicide victim’s childhood friend was called to testify in an ongoing trial before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Sept. 8.
Reginald Steele, 26, is charged with conspiracy, first-degree murder, ten counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, 11 counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts of carrying a pistol without a license, five counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.
These charges stem from Steele’s alleged involvement in four separate shootings including the murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes and injury of another juvenile on March 1, 2020, on the 600 block of S Street, NW. Steele’s accused of a separate shooting the same day with no reported injuries on the unit block of Channing Street, NE.
The other incidents Steele is accused of include a non-fatal shooting that injured two individuals on Feb. 22, 2020 on the 700 block of Farragut Street, NW, and a non-fatal shooting that injured three on Feb. 24, 2020 on the 1700 block of 9th Street, NW.
A life-long friend of Lukes who was at the shooting was called to testify by the prosecution.
According to the witness, he, Lukes, and two friends left a store called UBreakIFix with a basketball before walking north to an alleyway. The witness stated that when they got to the alley he heard gunshots and started running with his friend, but heard Lukes say he was shot before lying down.
The witness and his friends stayed with Lukes after he was hit but fled when they heard the police arrive. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers handcuffed the witness and his friends and brought them in for questioning.
The questioning turned to a text conversation between the witness and an internet comedian in regards to a post the witness made on Instagram, in which a person is holding a sweater with the words “9th Street Compound” printed on it– a reference to a known “crew” or criminal gang in Lukes’ neighborhood.
The witness stated that he was not familiar with any beef between the 9th street neighborhood and the 3500 crew –of which prosecutors claim the defendant and his co-conspirators are members– but was directed back to his grand jury testimony claiming there was a beef between the two communities. In the messages, the comedian told the witness to delete his post, citing he was insulting the comedian’s cousin.
“Cause my cousin just died and he call himself NW Goon and you post this,” the comedian told the witness, insinuating that the witness was celebrating his cousin’s murder.
The prosecution then added two music videos into evidence of a rapper from the witness’ neighborhood in which both the witness and Lukes can be seen in the background. The witness confirmed the location of both videos, which were filmed on 9th Street in the Shaw area.
Megan Allburn, Steele’s attorney, confirmed that it was possible for another person to use someone’s Instagram, and that even though the messages in evidence were under the usernames of an individual and the witness, that did not necessarily mean it was them that wrote those texts.
Further, it was very common for rap music videos to be filmed all around DC, and that it was especially common for locals to participate. Allburn inquired about the day of the incident again, with the witness claiming that he did not identify the shooter, driver of the vehicle, or the number of gunshots – but that he heard the sounds of an opening door and gunshots.
An assisting homicide detective interviewed two other of Lukes’ friends while another detective interviewed the earlier witness.
During a debriefing on the night of the incident, video evidence was pulled from a private camera that caught a silver SUV fleeing the crime scene at high speed. The video also captured the vehicle traveling north on 7th Street NW and east on S Street NW until it reached the alley where Lukes and friends were walking.
A medical examiner from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) testified she conducted Lukes’ autopsy, deeming the manner of death a homicide and the cause of death as a gunshot wound.
Parties are slated to reconvene Sept. 9.
