DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson held rulings on multiple motions in abeyance during a status hearing for three shooting co-defendants on May 1.
Lorenzo Covington, 20, Zion Greely, 19, Gregory Nelson, 20, are charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, endangerment with a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, possession of an unregistered firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and four counts of destroying property less than $1000.
The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a shooting on the 700 block of N Street, NW, on Oct. 14, 2024. While no injuries were reported, gunfire struck three vehicles and the police recovered 27 shell casings from the scene.
During the proceeding, the prosecution said they turned over a compilation video to Judge Dayson that tracks the defendants from the 1300 block of 7th Street, NW, to the shooting location. The prosecution stated the video shows the three men wearing the same clothing seen in the surveillance footage of the incident.
Greely’s attorney, Diana Yu, argued that additional discovery, including phone extractions and Instagram search warrant returns, does not address the central issue for a motion to sever. Yu stated that while six individuals were present in the surveillance and four wore similar clothing, there were only three shooters.
Yu further indicated the defense intends to file a motion to suppress evidence from Greely’s phone extraction, citing significant Fourth Amendment issues regarding illegal searches and seizures.
Nelson’s attorney, David Akulian, presented a motion for reconsideration of release, arguing that Nelson has no prior criminal convictions and was fully compliant with home detention in a previous case. Akulian submitted letters of community support and argued that the burden had shifted to the prosecution to prove that no conditions could ensure safety.
The prosecution opposed the release, noting that Nelson’s request had been denied by two different judges and that he was on release for a gun case when he was arrested for this incident.
Judge Dayson declined to rule on the release or the motion to sever until all defense counsel had the opportunity to review the prosecution’s compilation video. Judge Dayson noted that the weight of the evidence is a factor in determining release conditions.
Covington’s attorneys, Karen Minor and Errin Scialpi, stated they would wait until the close of discovery to file their own motion to sever.
Parties are slated to reconvene for a status hearing on June 5.
