A non-fatal shooting defendant was sentenced to four-and-a-half years incarceration by DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on March 3.
Kamari Childs, 20, accepted a plea deal for three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful possession with a firearm, with a prior conviction. All charges stem from Childs’ involvement in a shooting that occurred on Sept. 15, 2025 on the King-Greenleaf Recreation Center on the 200 block of N Street, SW.
“[I am] never to forget you or your cases.” Judge McLean stated to Childs. Judge McLean was the previous judge on Childs’ case in which she imposed just probation a week before the shooting occurred.
Judge McLean imposed a sentence of one year for possession of a firearm and two years for each count of assault with a dangerous weapon under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA). All sentences for assault with a dangerous weapon are to run consecutive, with the one year charge running concurrent to them all.
Judge McLean also imposed three years supervised release, all suspended, in favor of two years probation following release. Along with ninety hours of community service and for Childs to be registered as a gun offender in DC after release.
As a part of the plea deal accepted on Nov. 4, parties agreed the prosecution would keep their sentencing request at the bottom half of the D.C. Sentencing Commission’s guidelines, one year minimum and ten years maximum.
On March 3, the prosecution said Childs had been released on probation just a week prior to this incident on a separate gun offender charge.
A video was played by the prosecution, showing the King-Greenleaf Recreation Center and children and teens playing at the facility at the time of the shooting. A person wearing all black, identified by prosecutors as Childs, could be seen walking towards the playground and firing three shots towards a red slide.
A second video showed a different view of the recreation center, and the children and teens running after gunshots were heard.
The prosecution claimed that two shots Childs fired hit the red slide in the video, a spot in which people were sitting, and the third’s end point could not be found, only the shell casing.
“Mr.Childs is incredibly lucky,” the prosecutor stated, explaining that Childs did not injure anyone.
Prosecutors argued for six years incarceration for Childs, saying “he failed probation the first time”.
Childs’ defense attorney, Wole Falodun, argued that “the record reflects a single impulsive episode”.
Falodun stated his client is not beyond rehabilitation and that Childs choosing to plead guilty is a demonstration of acceptance of responsibility.
Falodun requested Childs’ be sentenced under the YRA, which could lessen the sentence and seal it after successful completion. He requested Childs only be sentenced to two years in prison.
“I am sorry,” Childs said. “Very sorry to the people.”
No further dates were set.
