Monthly Recap: Homicide Count Declines

By D.C. Witness Staff - June 7, 2019
Featured | Homicides | Suspects | Traffic | Victims |

Throughout the month of May, DC saw a 47 percent decrease in homicides from April. The decrease reflects a return to the dip in homicides that first occurred in February.

There were nine homicides in May.  According to D.C. Witness data, only two suspects have been arrested as of July 16.

As previously reported, eight of the homicides were gun-related, and one was a stabbing. They occurred in only three wards: 5, 7, and 8. The last homicide was a vehicular homicide.

On May 1, 23-year-old Dajuan Donald Hart was found shot on the 3300 Block of D Street, SE. He died on the scene. There was a second adult male suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound.

Four days later, police found 18-year-old Saoun Coplins on May 5 on the 3000 Block of Stanton Road, SE. He was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound and later pronounced dead.

Later that week, on May 9, 28-year-old Mark Milline Jr. died in the hospital after being shot multiple times on the 800 block of Xenia Street, NE.

On May 17, 37-year-old Molly Walters was struck and killed making a left turn at the intersection of South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue, SE.

Two days later, emergency responders found 25-year-old Jonathan Hernandez on May 19 suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, as well as another adult male with non-life threatening injuries, on the 100 block of T Street, NE. Hernandez was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

On May 23, 33-year-old Pierre Mercer was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the 2300 block of Shannon Place, SE, after police responded to reports of a shooting.

The youngest victim, 15-year-old Maurice Scott, was pronounced dead on May 26 in the hospital after being found shot on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, SE. Three women also arrived at the hospital with non-life threatening wounds connected to the shooting.

On the same day, 44-year-old Michael Hooker was stabbed to death on the 2700 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. A suspect, 25-year-old Travis Russell, was arrested in June and is awaiting a preliminary hearing that is scheduled on Aug. 14.

According to D.C. Witness data, Russell was previously convicted of sexual abuse, unlawful possession of a firearm and other drug charges.

William Boykin, 36, was shot and killed two days later, on May 28, on the 2600 block of Birney Place, SE. A second victim was treated for non-life threatening wounds. A week later, 28-year-old Herman Sylvester Williams was arrested in connection to the case. His case has not been presented to a Grand Jury. Williams is scheduled for a felony status conference on Sept. 20.

The final victim in May was 34-year-old Eric Marshall, who was shot on the 4600 block of Reed Terrace, SE on May 29. No arrests have been made in the case.