Bad Blood Between Two Friends Leads to Stabbing Homicide

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Attorneys in a homicide trial argued on May 14 their client acted in self-defense after the prosecution showed footage of a fatal stabbing during opening statements before DC Superior Court Judge Micheal O’Keefe.

Aaron Jackson, 30, is charged with first-degree murder premeditated while armed and carrying a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in the fatal stabbing of 27-year-old Damohn Gill. The incident occurred on June 24, 2021, on the 3600 block of 22nd Street, SE.

According to the prosecution, Gill and his pregnant girlfriend were spending the day together when they decided to make a quick stop at the crime scene where Jackson stabbed his childhood friend, Gill, nine times, with the lacerations being three inches deep, causing his “intestines to spill out.”

A surveillance video showed an individual identified as Jackson getting into a physical altercation with Gill as he tries to get away from him after Jackson allegedly pulled out a knife.

Gill eventually falls to the ground out of camera range after being stabbed multiple times. Several people were seen nearby as the individual identified as Jackson fled.

The defense’s opening arguments shed light on the history between the defendant and Gill.

According to Wole Faludun, Jackson’s defense attorney, Jackson and Gill were best friends from childhood until 2013, when Jackson refused to provide his brother’s location to Gill, who was deemed “a snitch.”

Falodun stated that the defendant had been a victim of a shooting in 2016, during which he sustained three gunshot wounds to the stomach. The shooter was allegedly Gill, but Jackson never revealed this information to the police because, “snitches get stitches.”

Jackson was allegedly the victim of a second shooting in 2017 committed by Gill. He never disclosed Gill’s identity for the same reason.

According to Falodun, on the day of Gill’s death, he refused to shake hands with Jackson and stated “What the f**k are you doing around here?” claiming Jackson had been barred from the neighborhood.

Faludun affirmed that after Jackson pulled out a knife and his mother tried to hold him back, Gill stated “Don’t hold him, he’s about to die anyway.”

According to the defense, Jackson saw that Gill had a firearm on his waistband that day and his actions were not intended to kill Gill, but to protect his life.

Following opening statements, the prosecution called the defendant’s mother as an eyewitness to the fatal stabbing.

The witness confirmed Jackson had arrived in the neighborhood to get marijuana from her nephew, who was living with her at the time.

The defendant’s mother testified that Jackson and Gill arrived almost at the same time, but she was on the phone with her boyfriend and wasn’t paying much attention to the situation.

When she eventually looked over, she allegedly noticed Jackson had a knife in his hand and proceeded to try to pull him away from Gill.

“He wasn’t him,” the witness stated. As she tried to pull Jackson back, he told her, “Get the f**k off of me.” Frightened, she proceeded to walk away, still on the phone with her boyfriend.

The witness also stated she “couldn’t stand” Gill and had told Jackson to “stop hanging out” with him because “they were always getting into trouble.”

In cross-examination by Falodun, the witness confirmed she had visited Jackson in the hospital in 2016, due to gunshot wounds.

After being asked as to why she didn’t move until after the incident knowing it was a dangerous neighborhood by Falodun, she affirmed witness protection had moved her away. The witness stated she was getting threatened the day after the incident.

She said she didn’t want to be present and “go against her own son,” but had to in light of a subpoena.

Parties are set to continue witness testimony May 15.

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