A surviving victim described his “miraculous” survival after being shot four times in his testimony during a homicide trial before DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt on May 13.
Cotey Wynn, 45, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed, three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Blake Bozeman and as well as three surviving victims. The incident occurred on Sept. 23, 2023, at CRU Lounge on the 1300 block of H Street, NE.
According to prosecutors, Wynn allegedly aided and abetted the shooter by facilitating his entry into the club with a firearm.
At trial, the prosecution presented testimony from a surviving victim, former CRU Lounge employees, a security guard, and a first-responding Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer in an effort to establish the events leading up to the shooting and its aftermath.
A surviving victim and a security guard at CRU, testified he was preparing to leave the club to pick up his girlfriend from the airport when he saw a “flash” and felt multiple gunshots. He described the shooter as wearing “an open white cardigan,” and detailing “off-white cream, eggshell, some shade of white.”
He testified that he sustained injuries to his spine, a broken scapula, and a broken elbow. The witness said a bullet remained lodged in his neck because doctors determined removal would be too dangerous.
During testimony about the aftermath of the shooting, the surviving victim described lying on the floor while hearing another victim scream. He testified that he saw what appeared to be a “lifeless body” nearby and heard a young woman say she had been shot in the neck.
The witness described the scene after the shooting as “just chaos.”
The surviving victim described the physical and financial toll of his injuries. “I was shot four times and it’s miraculous that I made it out,” the surviving victim said. He testified that he returned to work approximately two weeks after the shooting because he feared his car would be repossessed.
The surviving victim also testified that he discharged himself from the hospital on the third day because he could not afford the medical expenses associated with a longer stay.
“It’s a cold world, but it’s always going to keep spinning,” the victim said.
The witness also recalled thinking, “He’s just going to shoot me while I’m down,” after collapsing to the floor as gunfire continued.
Due to time constraints, the victim’s testimony will resume the next day of trial.
Before witness testimony began, parties discussed the limits of witness testimony related to surveillance footage shown to jurors. Judge Brandt emphasized that security guards should not narrate videos or speculate on what was in someone else’s mind. “None of you should be narrating videos about things that you weren’t there to participate in,” Judge Brandt said.
Then, the prosecution called a former lounge manager who testified about the layout of the establishment and Wynn’s status as a regular patron. The witness said Wynn frequently arranged reservations through staff and was accommodated even when the club was full.
Wynn’s attorney, Brian McDaniel questioned the former lounge manager about her dual role at the establishment, confirming she worked both as a general manager and in IT. McDaniel also asked whether the establishment was considered a more intimate lounge or a high-energy club, to which the witness responded, “that’s still in the air.”
McDaniel showed surveillance footage from the night of the shooting and highlighted that Wynn was seated beside the former lounge manager smoking from a hookah. The witness also confirmed that Wynn flirted with her, but she testified she rejected his advances. McDaniel further pointed out a security guard shown in the footage, which the witness confirmed was one of the surviving victims who was shot that night.
McDaniel also asked whether the witness was aware of any conflict between Wynn and the security guard who was shot. She testified she was not aware of any problems between them and further mentioned she was not responsible for security staffing the night of the shooting.
The prosecution then presented testimony from a former bottle server who identified Wynn in surveillance footage from the night of the shooting. The witness testified that Wynn regularly contacted her personal cell phone to arrange reservations and often received discounts on bottles with management approval.
McDaniel questioned the witness about Wynn’s frequent visits to the club and confirmed that Wynn regularly contacted her directly to arrange accommodations. The former server testified she earned approximately 18 percent gratuity on bottle sales and stated premium bottles ranged between 300 and 400 dollars.
The witness also testified she frequently served Wynn and confirmed he never skipped out on any debt. She additionally said Wynn often received discounts on bottles, but management or ownership approval was required before discounts were applied.
As testimony continued, another security guard described the shooting as a “traumatic experience” and demonstrated the club’s pat-down procedures for jurors. The witness testified that security personnel were not instructed to conduct pat-downs on Wynn or his associates because he was widely accepted at the establishment.
McDaniel queried the security guard about the trauma he experienced following the shooting and whether it affected his memory. The witness acknowledged he had “patches” in his memory and confirmed surveillance footage was used to refresh his recollection during prior grand jury testimony in October 2025.
McDaniel also asked about Wynn’s status as a regular customer at the club. The witness agreed it was common for security staff to greet Wynn with handshakes when he arrived. McDaniel further questioned whether security procedures became “less thorough” when regular patrons briefly left and reentered the club. The witness agreed that searches of regular patrons could be less thorough upon reentry.
The security guard also confirmed he never saw Wynn return to the club with anyone visibly carrying a firearm.
The prosecution also called a first-responding Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer who testified about arriving at the lounge and securing the second floor after the shooting. In body-worn camera footage presented to jurors, the officer signaled for three ambulances with his fingers after locating three victims upstairs, according to his testimony.
During cross-examination, McDaniel asked the officer about his response upon reaching the second floor of the lounge.
The officer testified that his first command was “everybody out,” which was heard in a body-worn camera video shown to the jurors. The officer explained that he cleared the area for safety purposes and to allow emergency personnel to provide medical treatment.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on May 14 to resume the trial.
