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By
Leah Meyer
- April 9, 2025
Daily Stories
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Non-Fatal Shooting
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Suspects
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DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced a non-fatal shooting defendant to 39 months of jail, with all but six months suspended, which will all be served on weekends, during a hearing on April 3.
On Dec. 17, 2024, Davida Johnson, 27, pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon for her involvement in a shooting on May 8, 2023, on the 900 block of Brentwood Road, NE. The victim sustained two gunshot wounds, one in her left arm and one in her right buttocks, during the incident.
According to the prosecution, Johnson showed up at the victim’s place of work and shot her twice in front of the victim’s two daughters. The prosecution added that there had been ongoing hostility between the two women, but the victim was unarmed at the time of the shooting.
The victim “suffered a horrendous amount of trauma and mental anguish,” after the incident, and required “multiple surgeries,” the prosecution stated.
Kavya Naini, Johnson’s defense attorney, requested Judge Raffinan sentence Johnson to 18 months, all suspended, and one year of supervised probation. Naini stated that Johnson is the sole caretaker of four young children, and has already been evicted from her home due to home confinement and her inability to work.
Naini stated that Johnson “regrets her actions with every fiber of her being,” and is “the glue that holds her family together.” According to Naini, Johnson was pregnant at the time of the incident and “acted truly out of genuine fear after being threatened.”
“Any sentence that takes her away from her children is a net loss for them and the community as a whole,” Naini argued.
“I feel so sorry for the pain I caused [the victim] and her family,” Johnson stated when given the opportunity to speak by Judge Raffinan.
“I feel like I failed my children, I know the type of pain I caused,” Johnson said, adding that she grew up with her parents in the system and was left “traumatized.” She also told Judge Raffinan that she “doesn’t believe any period of incarceration is necessary.”
Judge Raffinan stated that “the facts and injuries of this case do not warrant the sentence requested by the defense,” and sentenced Johnson to 39 months of incarceration, with all but six months suspended. Johnson will also be placed on probation for one year, complete an intervention plan, and contribute 100 dollars to the Victims of Violent Crime fund.
Naini then requested that Johnson serve her sentence on the weekends, allowing her to work and provide for her family. The prosecution did not oppose, and Judge Raffinan accepted citing Johnson’s compliance with current probation conditions.
Johnson will serve her sentence from Friday nights to Sunday mornings for six months.
No further dates were set.