Defendant Sentenced to 15 Years in ‘Absolutely Unnecessary’ Shooting

By Lily Engel [former] - July 16, 2024
Daily Stories | Shooting | Suspects |

DC Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced a shooting defendant to 15 years of incarceration on July 16. 

Marcedes Edmunds, 38, was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault knowingly while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convict, carrying a shotgun or rifle outside a home or business, destruction of property worth $1,000 or more, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition, for his involvement in a shooting incident on the 4000 block of Haynes Street, NE, on May 1, 2019. One individual sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.

At the hearing, the prosecution asked the court to give Edmunds a sentence of 15 years, citing the nature and circumstances of the incident. 

There was no victim impact statement, but the prosecution stressed this shooting was “absolutely unnecessary” because the victim was trying to get away. The defendant “took a verbal altercation and made it dangerous” to the victim and the community, the prosecution told the court. 

Mark Rollins, Edmunds’ defense attorney, told Judge Hertzfeld that “this is literally an anomaly” in his client’s criminal history and he is “almost a first time offender.”

Rollins asked the court for the minimum sentence, which is 120 months for aggravated assault while armed and 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Although, he asked for these sentences to be concurrent instead of consecutive. 

Edmunds told Judge Hertzfeld, saying this is “from the heart.” 

“If I had anything to do with this charge I would own up to it,” he told the court, maintaining his innocence. 

Edmunds asked the court for leniency saying, “Nobody is perfect. I am not perfect.”

In response, Judge Hertzfeld said, “You have every right, Mr. Edmunds, to maintain your innocence” but “the evidence in this case is overwhelming.”

Judge Hertzfeld sentenced Edmunds to 120 months for aggravated assault while armed and 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence which will run consecutively, totaling 15 years. 

Edmunds will also serve 66 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, 28 months for unlawful possession of a firearm, 28 months for carrying a firearm outside a home or business, 12 months for possession of an unregistered firearm, and 12 months for unlawful possession of ammunition, all of which will run concurrently. 

Edmunds is also ordered to register as a firearm offender and pay a minimum of $100 per felony charge and $50 per misdemeanor charge to the Victims of Violent Crimes Fund.