New Testimony About A Shooting Linked to 2020 Homicide, Conspiracy Case

By McKenna Bryant , Anthoine Godin - April 25, 2024
Daily Stories | Homicides | Juveniles | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

The prosecution presented eyewitness testimony about what they allege is one of four shootings which all defendants conspired to commit leading to murder.

Koran Jackson, 23, Tyiion Kyree Freeman, 24, and Stephen Nelson, 33, are three of five individuals charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, assault with the intent to kill while armed, first-degree murder while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in connection to the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020, on the 600 block of S Street, NW. 

The case also involves alleged co-conspirators Reginald Steele, 24, and Aaron Brown, 27.

Throughout the trial, presided by DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt,  the prosecution has attempted to connect Jackson, Freeman, and Nelson to additional shootings that occurred on Feb. 22, 2020; Feb. 24, 2020; and a second shooting on March 1, 2020. 

On April 25, the prosecution focused primarily on a shooting that occurred on Feb. 24, 2020, on the 1700 block of 9th Street, NW. Two victims were injured as a result.

Prosecution called a witness who testified that he had been working construction at the time of the shooting. While facing away from 9th Street, the witness heard a single gunshot behind him.

The witness stated “I dove to the ground…several more shots were fired.” After what the witness estimates were shots, he heard the screeching tires and observed a white car with two people traveling at a high rate of speed up 9th Street.

Surveillance from a nearby resident’s home which looked out on the construction site and location of the shooting corroborated the witness’ testimony, capturing footage of a four-door white vehicle speeding past the frame. 

Though the witness could not distinguish any of their features, he testified that he had seen two individuals wearing “dark clothing” in the front of the speeding car.

In his cross examination, Jackson’s defense attorney, Brian McDaniel, emphasized the witness had been far from the vehicle, and little details he had on individuals he had testified to seeing in the front of the car.

The prosecution then called a lieutenant of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) who responded to the shooting and saw two victims as he arrived on scene. The lieutenant stated one had been transported to the hospital in an ambulance while the other had minor injuries and was not in need of immediate medical attention.

The lieutenant testified that the only time he had spoken to the injured victim was in the ambulance in which he described the victim as “uncooperative.”

Body-worn camera footage revealed that when the lieutenant initially asked the victim about details of the shooting, the victim had shouted “I don’t remember nothing… can you holler at me later.”

The prosecution re-called a Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) crime scene scientist as an eyewitness to the Feb. 24, 2020 shooting.

The witness had previously testified on Feb. 26, when she reviewed damaged clothing items from Lukes and his friends, who were also injured during the March 1 incident.

“As I was going through the intersection, I heard a series of pops go off,” the witness said.

The witness observed a white SUV, with a hand holding a gun out of the front passenger window.

She slammed on the breaks, and pulled to the side of the road as several more gunshots occurred.

While parked, the witness recalled looking into her side-view mirror and seeing “an individual in the street with his leg up, rolling side to side.”

Despite her years of experience analyzing evidence from crime scenes, the witness stated that she had never previously witnessed a shooting.

In cross-examination, McDaniel questioned if the witness recalled other vehicles in the area at the time. The witness did not recall whether other vehicles had also pulled over.

In re-direct questioning from the prosecution, the witness stated that her focus was set on getting out of the way of harm, and not what other vehicles were doing at the time of the incident.

Parties are slated to return April 29.