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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- February 19, 2019
Featured
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Homicides
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Suspects
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As the District of Columbia brought in the New Year, there was an uptick in homicides that was mostly gun related.
Throughout the month of January, there were 19 homicides:15 gun-related homicides, two stabbings and two were in connection to a residential fire. Last year, by the close of January, the District only tallied 10 homicides, a 90 percent increase. A Washington Post columnist refers to the increase and the impact a single homicide could not only have one a family but the entire community.
Shamar Marbury
On New Year’s Day, the Metropolitan Police Department located 19-year-old Shamar Marbury suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 4200 block of Barnaby Road, SE.
Nearly four days later on Jan. 5, police responded to a residence on the 3300 block of Ely Place, SE about reports of a fire and located Joseph Burgess and Regina Bowman. Burgess, 60, and Bowman, 50, were pronounced dead on the scene.
Joseph Burgess
On Jan. 6, police found 21-year-old Donald Rafus Benson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the Unit block of O Street, NW.
Nearly an hour later, Vongell Lugo was found in the hallway of a 
n apartment building on the 2800 block of Wisconsin Avenue, NW suffering from multiple stab wounds. Lugo, 36, was pronounced dead on the scene.
U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Collin Potter was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection to Lugo’s death. Apparently the two men were in a relationship, according to the Washington Blade. Potter, 26, is scheduled for a status hearing on March 1. A preliminary hearing is scheduled on March 15.
James Lamont Stewart
Later that same day, police located 28-year-old James Lamont Stewart suffering from gunshot wounds on the 800 block of Varnum Street, NW.
Damon Dukes
On Jan. 7, 25-year-old Damon Dukes succumbed to a gunshot wound in connection to a shooting that occurred the previous day on the 200 block of V Street, NW.
Abdul Watts
On Jan. 8, 46-year-old Abdul Watts was located on the 5300 block of Dix Street, NE suffering from apparent stab wounds.
Michael Taylor
On Jan. 12, police found three people suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE. All three individuals were brought to a nearby hospital, where 22-year-old Michael Taylor succumbed to his injuries.
Police arrested and charged Alonzo Brown, Stephon Evan and Carlos Turner with first-degree murder while armed in connection to Taylor’s death. Brown, 21, Evans, 18, and Turner, 20, are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 1.
Zyair Bradley
On Jan. 13, police found 20-year-old Zyair Bradley and 23-year-old
Alexis Washington inside a vehicle on the Unit block of Forrester Street, SW suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Two days later, police located 22-year-old Davane Williams suffering from multiple gunshot wounds
Davane Williams
on the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW.
Travis Deyvon Ruth
On Jan. 18, police located Travis Deyvon Ruth suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 2700 block of Jasper Street, SE. Ruth, 21, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Albert Ford
On Jan. 24, Albert Ford was found suffering from a gunshot wound on the 3700 block of O Street, SE. Ford, 56, was pronounced dead on the scene.
On Jan. 26, police found Kevin Jerome Harrison suffering from a gunshot wound on the 4100 block of Hayes Street, NE. Harrison, 59, was pronounced dead on the scene.
Later that same day, police found Sean Shuler, Tyrik Hagood and Javon Abney suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 1500 block of Fort Davis Place, SE. Shuler, 26, Hagood, 24 and Abney, 26, were pronounced dead on the scene.
Tyrik Hagood Javon Abney Sean Shuler
Apparently, Shuler died the weekend before he was supposed to testify in a trial against murder defendant Saeve Evans regarding to the shooting of a 16-year-old girl in 2016. Evans was found not guilty on Feb. 8.
The final homicide of the month occurred on Jan. 27, when 28-year-old Troy Souder succumbed to injuries connected to a 2017 shooting on the 100 block of Irvington Street, SW.
Police have arrested four suspects from two homicides in January.