A witness recounted the day she was under fire in front of a murder trial jury before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on Oct. 14.
Reginald Steele, 26, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, 10 counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, 11 counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts of carrying a pistol without a license, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and five counts of possession of an unregistered firearm.
The charges are in connection to his alleged involvement in four shootings, including the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, at the 600 block of S Street, NW, on March 1, 2020. Another individual sustained injuries during the incident.
Steele is also linked to a non-fatal shooting on March 1, 2020 at the unit block of Channing Street, NE, and a non-fatal shooting on Feb. 24, 2020 at the 1700 block of Ninth Street, NW. No individuals were injured on Channing Street, and three individuals were injured on Ninth Street.
Additionally, Steele faces charges for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on Feb. 22, 2020 at the 700 block of Farragut Street, NW. No individuals sustained injuries.
A witness who was present at the Farragut Street shooting explained her experience, and the moments leading up to the shooting.
The witness stated that she had been sitting on the front porch of her mother’s home with her boyfriend and a friend–it was her grandmother’s birthday and she was home to celebrate.
The witness recounted seeing a gray Kia pull up to the front of the house. She found it odd that there were young people in the car, as they didn’t typically frequent the area.
Referring to previous grand jury testimony given, she described the car as having two men and two women inside, with one of the men yelling in an aggressive tone before hurriedly driving away.
“At any time did you threaten the people in the car?,” the prosecutor asked. “Did anyone else threaten people in the car? Did anyone point a weapon at them?,” prosecutors continued. The witness answered no to all three questions.
The witness thought the incident was over, so the group continued to gather on the front porch, with the witness describing the environment as “chill and quiet”.
However, as the witness stated that about five minutes later, she saw two men approaching on foot, wearing the same colored shirts that she saw the men in the car wearing– gray and green.
The witness said she thought they were coming to fight. She described turning to her boyfriend, who testified on Oct. 9 about the same incident, and telling him not to fight the men.
Then, “bullets started flying toward us,” the witness stated. “I didn’t see it, but I heard it”.
The witness believed one of the females in the car was her neighbor, who she described as having had a previous altercation with the witness’ younger sister. The witness wasn’t entirely certain it was her, but felt fairly confident it was.
Defense attorney Gemma Stevens asked the witness if there were any injuries sustained, or medical attention needed– the witness said there wasn’t.
A supervisor in the firearm registration branch at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was called to the stand. Prosecutors confirmed with the witness that Steele had no conceal carry license, or any firearms registered in his name at the time of the incidents.
Trial is set to reconvene on Oct. 15.
