Eyewitness Follows Suspect Vehicle After Fatal Shooting

By McKenna Bryant - March 5, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On March 4, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt heard witness testimony from an eyewitness who said she followed the suspects after a murder.

Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 33, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020 on the 600 block of S Street, NW. The shooting also left a second juvenile victim located in the vicinity suffering from a gunshot wound to the right leg. 

Driving home from church in her black SUV that Sunday, March 1, the prosecution witness explained that she was on the phone with a friend and had pulled over to let another car pass. 

“When I looked up, the car was stopped and [two individuals]” get out of the passenger side of a Kia Soul and “shoot into a crowd of boys that were at the end of the alley.”

She described the two shooters as “black or brown” with “male build.”

The witness recalled trying to unlock her phone to take a picture of the license plate, but was unsuccessful.

“Something happened that wasn’t lawful and I wanted to document the vehicle,” the witness said.

She decided to follow behind the Kia Soul.

The witness recalled following the suspect vehicle for a few minutes, and ended up losing sight of it at a red light. The witness then called 911.

The prosecution played the 911 call during the hearing, where the witness is heard describing the suspect vehicle she followed as a “light-colored, four door sedan.”

Freeman’s defense attorney, Andrew Ain, asked the witness the manner of the Kia driving away. The witness explained that the suspect vehicle traveled at “normal speed” after the shooting.

Jackson’s defense attorney, Brian McDaniel, confirmed the witness’ grand jury testimony from April 21, 2020, when she stated the two shooters were “really tall” in relation to the car, which she described as a “clown car” because “they had to fold themselves in.”

In their redirect, the prosecution asked the witness why she was interested in collecting information for the police. She said “because of the job that I do. It’s based on gathering as much detail as possible to help with the investigation.”

Prosecutors also called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer to testify about aiding the lead detective in collecting surveillance footage from two locations involving the suspect vehicle, a Kia Soul.

According to the officer, on March 11, 2020, he met with homicide detectives and the business manager of a gas station to download footage from the day of the crime.

It showed a Kia drive up to a gas pump. At 12:52 p.m., an individual got out of the front passenger seat and walked into the building. The individual in the driver’s seat followed. 

The officer did not identify the individuals.

At 12:55 p.m., they return to the vehicle and drive away.

According to the officer, on March 15 he and homicide detectives met with the manager of an apartment complex 3000 block of 14th Street, NW, to extract footage from March 1 of the lobby and exterior street view of the entrance.

The officer explained that although the footage does not have a visible timestamp, it accurately showed what happened. 

The footage shows “two males come into the screen” in the lobby who leave the building. The exterior camera showed what appeared to be “two people standing in front of that building.”

One walking southbound, and the other individual appears to walk to the cars stopped in traffic, “go to the driver’s side” and get into a Kia Soul.

Freeman’s defense attorney, Andrew Ain, asked the witness to identify characteristics of one of the individuals seen in the lobby videos. The officer replied, “He’s wearing glasses.”

Jackson’s defense attorney, Brian McDaniel, asked the officer if he was sure the time stamp was correct for the videos from the gas station. The officer wasn’t sure and did not recall checking if the timestamp was accurate.

McDaniel questioned the authenticity of the edited footage.

Parties are slated to return March 5.