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By
Armaan Raza
, Joseph Barbis , Linus Loughry - June 9, 2025
Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Shooting
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Victims
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Attorneys for mass shooting suspects raised concerns over so-called bad-faith investigative practices by the prosecution in analyzing cell-site data before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on June 4.
Erwin Dubose, 31, Kamar Queen, 28, Damonta Thompson, 28, and William Johnson-Lee, 22, are charged with conspiracy, premeditated first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, among other charges, for their alleged involvement in the mass shooting that killed 31-year-old Donnetta Dyson, 24-year-old Keenan Braxton, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner. The incident occurred on the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW on Sept. 4, 2021, and injured three additional individuals.
Mussay Rezene, 32, and Toyia Johnson, 53, are charged with accessory after the fact while armed and tampering with physical evidence for their alleged involvement in assisting the other defendants discard evidence and avoid arrests.
Prosecutors called on a Special Agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) who testified regarding an evidentiary analysis of cell data collected from cell phones belonging to the defendants.
The data was presented by the witness in detailed maps the day before, which included relevant addresses. They contained labels of cell sites and towers, as well as their orientation, phone pings, locations, and times.
The defense disputed the prosecution’s claims about what the cell data actually indicated. Under cross-examination the witness clarified that cellphone data that the prosecution portrayed as concrete evidence placing suspects at locations of interest only indicated that phones were in the general area of the locations, but could not be specifically proven to be at the exact location.
The defense questioned the good faith of the prosecution’s investigation as they cross-examined the expert witness using limited information. Judge Kravitz summarized the issue as the prosecution’s decision to only give investigators select phone numbers, thus the prosecution was using data to fit a preordained theory of guilt.
The prosecution pushed back showing that external calls, which the defense had claimed were a blind spot in the investigation, were in fact mutual affiliates of the suspects, tying back into the prosecution’s investigation.
Elizabeth Weller, representing Ms. Johnson, was concerned with the prosecution’s introducing information to push a “they’re all in a gang” narrative. The prosecution disagreed, stating that it was the foundation of a good investigation.
Ultimately, Judge Kravitz allowed the new evidence of phone numbers and Instagram accounts to be used as evidence.
An investigator and a detective on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department( MPD) added to the prosecution’s case. The MPD investigator was asked multiple questions regarding his daily experience with the Kennedy Street Alliance, known as KDY, and its members. He was also asked by both the prosecution and the defense on if he would refer to KDY as a crew or gang.
This culminated with the prosecution’s asking “Would it be fair to refer to KDY as a crew or a gang?” which the investigator confirmed.
The detective was brought in after to talk about his interactions with Toyia Johnson. The detective was investigating a burnt black rented Honda that the MPD suspected was involved in the shooting. While investigating the vehicle, the detective interacted with Ms. Johnson at the agency, where she was trying to list the car as stolen. The detective was later able to get a DNA swab from Ms. Johnson.
The trial is slated to reconvene without the jury the following day, June 5.