DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced a domestic violence shooting defendant on June 18 to 78 months in prison after concluding he lacked remorse.
Nyasar Childs, 28, pleaded guilty on April 13 to assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than a year for his involvement in shooting his child’s mother in the foot. The incident occurred on Nov. 10, 2025, on the 3200 block of 9th Place, SE.
The prosecution asked Judge Hertzfeld to sentence Childs to 57 months for the assault charge and 27 months for the possession charge, followed by three years of supervised release.
The prosecutor characterized Childs as cognizant of his wrongdoings, proven by the lengths he went to hide a bullet from the police. According to the victim, Childs reportedly attempted to flush then swallow the bullet.
He concluded his request by highlighting the uniqueness of a domestic violence victim wanting their abuser to be locked up as long as possible, as many victims want them back in their lives, preferring someone to help raise their family.
The prosecution read a letter from the victim that said she had known Childs her whole life, having his child in late 2024.
According to the victim, the abuse began in January 2024, when Childs reportedly started hitting her while she was driving because he felt like she wasn’t listening to him. She alleged that he exited the car and jumped onto it, trying to break the windshield. When he couldn’t break it, he reportedly used his blood to write, “I love you.”
The victim claimed the abuse continued to escalate, even after she became pregnant. The victim claimed Childs would hit, bite, and kick her, also tormenting her by saying she would never get away from him, calling himself “the devil.” The victim said she tried to ask the police for help, but to no avail.
After the baby was born, he would reportedly strangle her and shoot in her direction, and once allegedly threatened to “break every bone in [her] body.” Before he shot her foot, the victim alleged that Childs threatened to kill her.
The victim ended her letter by urging Judge Hertzfeld to consider the mental and emotional stress that she endures making her decision.
Shawn Sukumar, Childs’ attorney, asked for a 36 month sentence, calling that a “significant amount of time” for Childs to get his head together. He briefly mentioned Childs’ history with the cycle of violence, choosing not to go in-depth as Childs’ family was at the hearing.
Sukumar also brought up Childs’ bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders as an additional reason for the three years being ample time for his sentence.
After Sukumar spoke, Childs addressed the court directly. To the court’s surprise, he began by saying “a lot of the things [the victim] said were highly exacerbated.”
“Your lawyer’s trying to shut you up right now,” interrupted Judge Hertzfeld, apparently appalled that his initial statement was “anything but extreme remorse.”
Childs then read a letter he wrote, apologizing to the victim and his family. He expressed that he “never should have pulled a firearm.” Childs asked Judge Hertzfeld to “please give [him] [his] sentence.”
“I don’t believe a word of it,” responded Judge Hertzfeld, continuing to comment on his behavior and lack of remorse throughout the hearing. The judge said that while she was considering a lesser sentence, the conversation with Childs led her to determine that it was no longer suitable.
“I think you need to sit for a long time,” Judge Hertzfeld flatly stated.
Going beyond the prosecution’s recommendation, Childs was sentenced to 78 months for the assault charge and a concurrent 36 months for the possession charge, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he has to register as a gun offender in DC and pay $200 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Fund. Finally, the judge ordered Childs to stay away and not contact the victim again.
No further dates were set.
