Parties delivered opening statements and two witnesses testified in a shooting trial in front of DC Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur on March 4.
Dupre Jones, 26, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, second-degree cruelty to children, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and unlawful discharge of a firearm for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on the 4500 block of First Street, SW, on Oct. 11, 2024. No injuries were reported.
In their opening statements, the prosecution claimed that Jones had arrived at the victim’s home with the intent to stay the night. The two of them had some drinks and the victim had gone to bed, but later was awakened by Jones, reportedly breaking items and pulling a gun while her ten-year-old son sleeping in the next room.
The prosecution stated the victim then begged Jones to leave, fearing for her and her ten-year-old son’s safety.
Jones’s defense attorney, Adgie O’Bryant, claimed Jones and the victim intended to have a pleasant evening with drinks, and that Jones never threatened the victim or her son.
Prosecutors called the victim to give her account of the incident. She explained that she had been relaxing in the apartment the night of the incident with her son when Jones arrived at her doorstep unexpectedly. She had known Jones for the past 13 years, as he was the brother of an ex-friend of hers, so she wasn’t surprised to see him.
Later on that night, she claimed that Jones woke her with loud music and his behavior escalated to breaking household items, and eventually pulled out a gun from his overnight bag, pointing it at her. “He never acted like that before,” said the victim, expressing her fear and surprise at his alleged behavior. Once she was able to get Jones out of her apartment, he began cursing and yelling at the neighbors, causing a commotion while he shot at the sky.
Prosecutors presented photos of the apartment building’s entrance and the stairs leading to the witness’ apartment, showing Jones’ belongings outside. She identified the building entrance’s doorway as the spot where he allegedly fired the gun. The witness testified that after kicking Jones out, she put his belongings outside, but he only took his gun and money when he left.
The witness alleged Jones’ threatening to shoot her twice while pointing a gun at her, but said she wasn’t intimidated, assuming he was intoxicated and talking nonsense. She testified that her concern escalated when Jones started directing his attention toward her son, making inappropriate remarks about his being a player that “gets females,” which he found amusing but she did not.
According to the witness, Jones was scaring other residents in the building, prompting her to tell him she was going to call the police. As she tried to get him to leave at the front door to the building, he said, “You think I’m a punk,” before firing a shot up into the air. She ran out of the building and across the street before police arrived.
The witness admitted she didn’t initially call 911, believing Jones would leave on his own since she never had to deal with that behavior before. She added that she was also worried that her neighbors would complain to the landlord.
During cross-examination, O’Bryant questioned the witness about her relationship with Jones’ sister. The witness confirmed they were once good friends, that she was introduced to Jones through her, and that his sister would sometimes stay with her.
The witness testified that she initially told Jones not to stay the night when he showed up the night before the shooting because she was no longer friends with his sister. However, after Jones returned from the liquor store, they spent some time talking before she went to bed.
The witness then stated she awakened early in the morning by Jones playing music loudly on his phone. When she asked him to turn down the volume, he refused, sparking an argument.
She described his behavior as unusual, with impaired motor skills, but said she was more irritated than concerned and just wanted him out of her house. The situation continued for two to three hours, she said.
The witness confirmed Jones never pointed the gun at her son and admitted she hesitated to call the police earlier, partly because she didn’t want to interact with his sisters or be blamed for him ending up in jail.
The witness recalled speaking with Jones earlier that night about his child’s mother, offering advice on a situation that upset him, which he didn’t appreciate. She said he responded by telling her she couldn’t comment on the situation and making a crude comparison between her and his child’s mother.
A ShotSpotter analyst recalled that on Oct. 11, 2024 there were recorded sounds from sensors in the morning, and the audio files capturing one gunshot from the incident area that day were played in court, where the witness identified each sensor.
During cross-examination, the witness reaffirmed that the sensors are always recording but only react to impulsive sounds. He clarified that the system captures sound alone, and therefore, it is not possible to distinguish the caliber of firearm or determine who fired the weapon based on the audio files.
Trial is slated to resume March 5.
