Saeve Evans pleads not guilty to firearm charge, held without bail

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The man police say fired multiple shots into a crowd the day after Thanksgiving was ordered held without bail in his first appearance at D.C. Superior Court Wednesday.

Saeve Evans, 27, faces a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty to the charge on Wednesday. Police were searching for Evans in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Breyona McMillian. Though police cannot confirm if it was a bullet from Evans’ weapon that struck and killed the teenager, police urged him to come forward and provide any details that could help police solve the case.

Evans is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction. According to police, he was seen on surveillance video firing multiple shots toward a crowd standing outside the Potomac Gardens housing complex last Friday.

Evans’ public defender, Blase Kearney, argued to have his client’s case dismissed due to insufficient probable cause. According to Kearney, neither camouflage pants nor a 9 millimeter gun, both of which the suspect was said to possess in the footage, could be found on Evans. Kearney also argued that there was not enough evidence to identify Evans as the suspect seen on the video. According to Kearney, a housing authority employee told police the man seen on the footage was Evans, but argued an employee would not be familiar enough with Evans’ facial features to distinguish him from someone else in the complex.

Evans’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 12 at 9 a.m.

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