Judge Finds Probable Cause in Shooting with a Firearm and a BB Gun

By Rebecca Connor [former] , Rosie Rohrer [former] - July 28, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

On July 28, DC Superior Court Judge Heidi Pasichow found probable cause that James Guillory was the perpetrator of a June non-fatal shooting.

Guillory, 23, is charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a shooting that occurred on June 15 on the 4600 block of Hillside Road SE.

Two people were injured in the shooting. One victim sustained a firearm injury to the thigh and one sustained a BB gun injury to the face.

The prosecution called a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective who confirmed that one victim identified the defendant as the alleged shooter from a photo array, with the victim stating she was “a thousand percent positive” that it was Guillory.

She also testified that the victims stated there had been previous altercations between them and the defendant as well as his family members. 

One of the victims also informed the detective that she had been shot with a BB gun multiple times in the upper body by a female member of Guillory’s family immediately before being shot in the nose with a BB pellet by Guillory himself. 

After MPD officers searched a residence linked to Guillory, the detective testified that they recovered a number of BB gun pellets, CO2 cartridges used in the weapons, and BB gun targets. 

The detective stated that a male member of Guillory’s family confessed to the crime; however, inconsistencies in his statement and his behavior while being interviewed convinced her that he was not the shooter. 

Defense attorney Varsha Govindaraju argued that the mere existence of another person who had confessed to the crime negated the justification for probable cause. 

She also pointed to various inconsistencies in the two victims’ identifications of the suspect, saying they “undermine each other’s version of events.”

Govindaraju also insisted Guillory attacked in self-defense, asking the detective to testify to threats made by the victims towards Guillory and his family both before and after the incident. 

Ultimately, Judge Pasichow found probable cause in the case and ordered the defendant held as he awaits trial. 

Parties are set to return on Aug. 4.