Judge Sentences 20-Year-Old Homicide to 12 Years in Prison

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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced a 20-year-old homicide defendant to 144 months in prison during an April 14 hearing.

Shaquille Bynum was originally charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection to the death of Ibrahim Sesay, 20, on the 1300 Block of 9th Street, NW on Jan. 6, 2021.

Bynum and Howard both accepted plea deals on Feb. 9, 2022, to one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed each.

Judge Raffinan said the actions taken by Bynum and Howard as a group of friends showed similar conduct and there was no reason to sentence them differently. Sean Howard was also sentenced to 144 months in prison on Feb. 10.

“This death has caused irreparable harm to family and friends,” explained the prosecution. The prosecutor said there was extreme, blatant violence in this case, requesting 15 years of incarceration and five years of supervised release — the upper end of the sentencing guidelines.

According to court documents, Sesay was home from college and out with friends when he happened to be in a minimart where Bynum and Howard, 20, allegedly attempted to commit an armed robbery. While Sesay was on the ground, Howard fired multiple shots while fleeing, hitting Sesay multiple times. As Bynum fled he also fired one shot from his gun, which hit Sesay in the face.

Bynum may have been a follower, but he was an active participant in this pattern of bad decisions, argued the prosecution.

“He is the only son who carried my name,” the victim’s father said during an impact statement. “He will never bring back my son. I hope you change, your family needs you,” he directed to the defendant, “the choice is yours now.”

Another impact statement was read by the victim’s sister over Webex.

“You took my brother from me,” she said. “For you to shoot a man down while he was already shot makes you a coward.”

Defense attorney Stephen Brennwald acknowledged that the situation before the court was heartbreaking. He explained that friends had put Bynum’s mind in a bad place, but his high school degree program has put his mind in a better place and he will never get over what he did.

Brennwald explained that the shot taken by Bynum was random and tragic, but the randomness should not be a factor in his sentencing. Brennwald advocated for a lesser sentence than that given to Howard.

“I am terribly sorry for the pain that I caused,” said Bynum when given the opportunity to speak.

In addition to the prison term, Bynum will have to register as a gun offender. Judge Raffinan also imposed 18 months of supervised release and five years of probation in addition to 90 hours of community service as part of the youth rehabilitation act.

Judge Raffinan said she would recommend a stay at the DC Jail, so Bynum can finish his high school degree program before being transferred to a federal institution.

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