Sentencing Continued in Non-Fatal Shooting

By Sadie Herman [former] - January 5, 2024
Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

During a Jan. 4 hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan continued sentencing in a non-fatal shooting case due to a dispute over sentencing guidelines. 

Travis Littlejohn, 38, was found guilty on four charges of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of aggravated assault while armed, and multiple counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his involvement in a mass shooting that occurred on the 3800 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE, on July 5, 2019. 

According to court documents, four victims sustained non-life threatening wounds as a result of an altercation at a Shell gas station. 

The prosecution requested that Littlejohn receive a sentence of 130 years for his crimes. They argued that the court should “hold [Littlejohn] accountable and protect the community.” 

The prosecution argued that many more people, including an infant, could have been seriously injured or killed as a result of Littlejohn’s actions. 

Additionally, the prosecution pointed out that this crime occurred after Littlejohn was released from incarceration as a result of a previous conviction of voluntary manslaughter while armed. They further stated that when Littlejohn was previously released from prison, he “continued on a path of criminality”. They asked the court to “provide a just punishment to protect society”. 

Littlejohn’s defense attorney, Lee Smith, requested that the court sentence Littlejohn to the bottom of the sentence guidelines for each count. Smith began by reading a statement to the court on behalf of Littlejohn’s mother. In the letter, Littlejohn’s mother stated, “my biggest fear is that my son will be incarcerated for the rest of my life, and I’ll never see him again”. 

She also said, “Travis has a genuine heart” and “he is always thinking of others”. In her letter, the mother explained that Littlejohn has a serious heart condition, and that during his time in incarceration, he has not received proper or adequate treatment. She ended her statement by saying “I am begging and pleading for you to have leniency”. 

After reading the statement, Smith exclaimed, “The [prosecutor] is asking for a sentence that requires Littlejohn to die in prison”. He then argued that no one died as a result of the crime, and that the sentence the prosecution is requesting is unacceptable for this case.

Smith emphasized that he believes the court should sentence Littlejohn to the bottom of the guidelines for each count, which would result in 50 years incarceration. 

Littlejohn told the court that during his trial, nobody was able to identify him as the shooter and to consider this fact in his sentencing.

Due to a dispute about how to apply the sentencing guidelines, and a need for more time to review, Judge Raffinan continued the sentencing.

Parties are expected to reconvene Jan. 9.