DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park sentenced a homicide defendant to 48 years in prison after prosecutors described the murder as “an act of premeditated violence” that shattered a family and community on Oct. 31.
On May 5, Ranje Reynolds, 28, was convicted of first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Tarek Boothe on Jan. 31, 2022, on the 3200 block of M Street, NW.
At trial, prosecutors argued the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between Boothe and Reynolds at their workplace.
Judge Park delivered the sentence after an emotional hearing that opened with victim impact statements from Boothe’s relatives, who spoke of profound grief and lasting trauma following his death.
Boothe’s mother appeared virtually to address the court, describing her son as “uplifting and good-natured”. Fighting tears, she said, “There are no words to describe what it feels like to bury a child” and that her “baby died alone” after being “hunted.” Boothe’s mother urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence.
She also expressed anguish over Reynolds’ demeanor during the trial, saying his smiles and gestures toward family members felt like “a slap in the face.”
“He showed no remorse,” Boothe’s mother said. “He should never be free again.”
Boothe’s older cousin delivered her statement through sobs, calling the killing a “senseless tragedy” that has left her family “broken in a way that can never be fixed.” She said many relatives can no longer bring themselves to walk through Georgetown, where the shooting occurred. Boothe’s older cousin also read additional statements from Boothe’s two sisters, who shared how deeply the loss has affected them.
The younger sister, just 14 at the time of her brother’s death, described losing a father figure and suffering an asthma attack upon learning of the killing. She recounted the trauma her mother faced identifying Boothe’s body and said her brother was “left out on a street to bleed and die.”
The older sister likened her brother’s death to a “black hole” that “swallowed” her family’s future moments with Boothe. “My family is broken in places I didn’t even know could break,” she said. “I’m begging the court not to show mercy to someone who didn’t show any to Boothe.”
Another cousin of Boothe’s said Boothe had shown serious promise as a chef and served as a father figure to his younger sister.
“He didn’t have to take on that responsibility,” the cousin said, “but that’s who he was.” He described Reynolds’ reaction to the killing as if it were “a joke almost,” emphasizing the family’s sense of injustice.
Following victim impact statements, the prosecutors argued that Reynolds deserved the maximum 60-year sentence. The prosecution told the court Reynolds was not provoked and that Boothe “just wanted to go home to his family.”
“To kill someone over something that dumb,” she said, “shows how incredibly dangerous he is.”
The prosecutor also referenced the public nature of the shooting, which occurred amid Georgetown shoppers, and said several witnesses remain traumatized.
One student who testified at trial described the attack as “assassin-style.” The prosecutor added that the defense’s mental health report on Reynolds impulsivity improvement was “irrelevant,” noting the crime displayed clear planning rather than impulsivity.
Defense attorney Cheryl Stein requested the statutory minimum of 30 years, citing Reynolds’ struggles with substance abuse and mental health. She said her client had been smoking marijuana throughout the day of the shooting and was “under a degree of intoxication.”
Stein argued Reynolds’ actions were “the opposite of calculated,” pointing out that he acted in a crowded area, suggesting impulsivity rather than premeditation.
She also defended Reynolds’ courtroom demeanor, saying she had advised him not to show emotion during the trial. “He should not be penalized for exercising his Fifth Amendment rights or for appearing unemotional,” Stein said. “He is more than the crime, though the death is undoubtedly unfair.”
In issuing the 48-year sentence, Judge Park said he sought a balance between the extremes proposed by both sides. He noted Reynolds’ lack of prior criminal history as a mitigating factor but emphasized the “substantial premeditation” involved in the killing.
“The defendant walked away from this crime as though nothing had happened,” Judge Park said, calling the shooting a “tragedy that has caused a life sentence of heartache and sorrow.”
The judge said he was particularly moved by the older sister’s description of her brother’s death as a “black hole” that consumed her family’s future. Park ordered Reynolds to undergo anger management, substance abuse, mental health, and impulse control treatment while incarcerated.
Reynolds, who declined to make a statement, will also serve five years of supervised release and must register as a gun offender for two years after his release.
The parties are not slated to reconvene.
