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By
Brigette Bagley
- March 14, 2025
Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean heard opening statements from parties in a non-fatal shooting trial on March 12.
Ni’Jhae Curry, 26, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, endangerment with a gun, two counts of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, and possession of a prohibited weapon for her alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting on Oct. 17, 2023, at the 900 block of Sycamore Drive, SE. No injuries were reported.
In opening statements, the prosecution argued the night of the incident should have been “a regular day in the neighborhood” for the victim, but instead, she was attacked from behind at random. They claim the victim and Curry were once friends but had since fallen out, creating ongoing tension. The prosecution alleged that after a fight between them just minutes later, Curry fired at the victim from inside her apartment. They urged the jury to focus on “who the aggressor truly was” despite what the defense would argue.
Curry’s attorney, Jonathan Love, countered by pointing out inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case, plus oversights in the investigation. He argued that surveillance footage would show the victim, not Curry, in a fighting stance at the apartment lobby–disproving the claim that she was attacked from behind. Love explained that after the altercation, the victim threatened to kill Curry, who later fired a shot out of fear for her safety.
Love noted that Curry had previously been a victim of a violent crime and had been living in a “high crime area” for years, so when she saw that the victim returned to the apartment complex in baggy clothes with “a bulge” at her abdomen, she was defending herself.
Following opening statements, the prosecution called an eyewitness who helped break up the earlier fight, but while on the stand, he repeatedly referred to his grand jury transcript, even to confirm the incident address. The court agreed to recall him at a later date so he could review his prior testimony.
A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer testified he recovered a shell cartridge and called for a crime scene investigator to collect it. During a brief cross-examination, he confirmed he did not speak to any suspect, witness, or victim on the scene.
A DC Department of Forensic Science (DCDFS) analyst testified that after Curry was apprehended, officers allegedly discovered two firearms in her vehicle–an AR-style pistol and a smaller handgun.
During his testimony, he noted that the smaller handgun was jammed, with a bullet stuck in the chamber, making it inoperable. During cross-examination, he testified the jam likely occurred after the first round was fired and confirmed that neither gun was fully loaded when recovered.
A private ballistics expert later testified to receiving and analyzing the firearms, magazines with unfired ammunition, and the single-fired bullet. He confirmed that the smaller pistol had been fired but stated during cross-examination that he could not determine the shooter’s identity, proximity to the victim, position when firing, or any other details about the case.
An MPD officer from the firearms registration branch testified that a database search showed Curry was neither a licensed gun owner nor had she applied for any firearm permits in the District.
Parties are slated to reconvene on March 13.