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By
Brigette Bagley [former]
- May 1, 2025
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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The mother of one of the six co-defendants reluctantly identified her son in open court during a homicide trial before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz in a hearing on April 29.
William Johnson-Lee, 22, Erwin DuBose, 30, Kamar Queen, 27, and Damonta Thompson, 28, are charged with conspiracy, two counts of premeditated first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and three counts of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, for their alleged involvement in the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 31-year-old Donnetta Dyson, 24-year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner.
Dubose, Queen, and Johnson-Lee each face nine additional counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Queen and Thompson each incurred one additional count of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and Johnson-Lee was accused of two more counts of the same charge. Dubose, Queen, and Thompson each have an additional charge of one or more counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
Dubose and Queen are also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, as well. Dubose has additional charges of premeditated first-degree murder while armed and tampering with physical evidence. Finally, Queen and Johnson-Lee each have an additional charge of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.
The incident occurred on the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW, on Sept. 4, 2021, and left three others suffering from injuries.
Toyia Johnson, 52, and Mussay Rezene, 32, are charged with accessory after the fact while armed and tampering with physical evidence for their alleged involvement in assisting the other defendants in getting rid of the evidence and avoiding getting caught in connection with the case.
Prosecutors called DuBose’s mother to testify, confirming he was living at the 100 block of Peabody Street, NE, and the phone number at the time of the incident. She also pointed him out in open court, identifying him in person and on screenshots of surveillance footage from an unnamed apartment complex.
The prosecutors also used her to introduce body-worn camera footage of a search warrant conducted at their home after the incident. She testified that she, her husband, and their daughter were present, and officers “stormed” into DuBose’s bedroom.
During a brief cross-examination by Erwin DuBose’s attorney, Michael Bruckheim, it was revealed that she had been subpoenaed by the prosecution to testify in the grand jury and today.
“I interpreted that my presence in these meetings was required,” she explained. “I feel like I’m incriminating my son, and I don’t want to be here.”
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer responsible for executing part of the search warrant of DuBose’s house was also called to testify.
He reviewed his body-worn camera footage from the day, explaining that as an officer in the criminal apprehension unit, it’s common to not know any background information about the people, the items, or the facts of the case.
In this case, he also didn’t know what they were searching for, just that any weapons or technological devices should have been turned over to the MPD detectives assigned to the case. To his knowledge, nothing of substance was found that day.
A responding officer testified he spoke to the people living in a home that sustained gunshots to the exterior during the mass shooting. While reviewing his body-worn camera footage, he documented that there was a gunshot in the window, damage to the cables of the house’s electrical box, and at least 18-to-22 shell casings and bullet fragments on the surrounding street.
Another officer responded the Medstar Washington Hospital Center’s emergency room where he was flagged down by a nurse. She reported there was a gunshot victim about to receive medical attention, sustaining injuries to the left arm and groin.
The officer was able to question him after, and said the victim was reluctant to give information about what happened and how he was shot, but said that someone dropped him off at the hospital.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 30.