DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman sentenced a mass shooting defendant who may have fired hundreds of rounds into a memorial ceremony to 12 years of incarceration as part of a plea deal in a July 3 proceeding.
On Feb. 28, Jason Dyer, 27, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill while armed for his involvement in a non-fatal shooting that injured four people, including Dyer, on April 7, 2024, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Elmira Street, SW.
The prosecution argued for the sentence due to the severity of the incident, which, ironically, occurred during a candlelight vigil for a victim of gun violence, as well as the defendant’s criminal record.
Dyer’s attorney, Matthew Davies, requested that Judge Edelman stick with the plea agreement, emphasizing a trial would be long and difficult with no guarantee of a conviction.
Davies also requested that Dyer be sent to a prison with a medical facility to help treat his shattered knee and nerve damage he sustained during the shooting, according to Davies, who implied that Dyer has already been punished for his actions.
Judge Edelman responded, “The fact that he was shot does not reduce his responsibility.”
Dyer was sentenced to 12 years of incarceration and five years of supervised release after, during which he will be required to complete both a drug and mental health assessment.
Judge Edleman cited firing as many as 200 rounds at the gun memorial service in his reasoning for the sentence in addition to the fact that the defendant faced two major criminal charges before turning 30.
No further dates were set.
