Witness Describes Crime Scene As ‘Chaotic’ In Mass Shooting Trial

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Multiple witnesses testified, including the first responding officer, during a six co-defendant mass shooting trial before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on April 9.

William Johnson-Lee, 22, Erwin Dubose, 30, Kamar Queen, 27, and Damonta Thompson, 28, are charged with conspiracy, two counts of premeditated first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and three counts of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, for their alleged involvement in the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 31-year-old Donnetta Dyson, 24-year-old Keenan Baxter, and 37-year-old Johnny Joyner.

Dubose, Queen, and Johnson-Lee each have nine additional counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Queen and Thompson each gave one additional count of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and Johnson-lee has two more counts of the same charge. Dubose, Queen, and Thompson also each have an additional charge of one or more counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

Dubose and Queen are each charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, as well. Dubose has additional charges of premeditated first-degree murder while armed and tampering with physical evidence. Finally, Queen and Johnson-Lee each have an additional charge of carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business.

The incident occurred on the 600 block of Longfellow Street, NW on Sept. 4, 2021, and left three others suffering from injuries.

Toyia Johnson, 52, and Mussay Rezene, 32, are charged with accessory after the fact while armed and tampering with physical evidence for their alleged involvement in assisting the other defendants in getting rid of the evidence and avoiding getting caught in connection with the case.

The first responding officer continued his testimony from April 8, claiming that he’d never seen a crime scene “that chaotic and big,” before.

Prosecutors displayed the officer’s body-worn camera footage from the date of the incident, starting at 7:32 pm. While stationed near the intersection of 7th and Kennedy Street, NW, the officer testified that he heard “around 20” gunshots before racing to the scene.

The witness testified he found Baxter and Joyner on the ground, with Baxter’s being cradled in the arms of a friend. After flipping Joyner over to identify the severity of his wounds, he located Dyson on the ground in between two parked cars.

According to the officer, he called three ambulances before stationing himself over a firearm that was on the ground beside Joyner. In order to protect the firearm from contamination, the witness stated that he stood over it for three hours while other officers secured the scene.

The footage depicted chaos, with screams of “get my brother to the hospital” from loved ones and “everyone needs to get out” from officers trying to secure the scene.

According to the officer’s testimony, the Metropolitan Police Department’s chief made an appearance at the crime scene—something the officer had never seen before.

Michael Bruckheim, Dubose’s defense attorney, confirmed with the witness that he was on a “special beat” assignment on the night of the incident. The officer explained this meant he was highly visible in a police cruiser as a deterrent for criminal activity in the neighborhood.

Bruckheim asked the witness if he was familiar with the alliance known as Kennedy Street (KDY), and he responded “yes, they’re like a street gang.” The witness informed the jury that KDY had a heavy presence in the area, which was the reason for his assignment there.

Peter Fayne and Brian McDaniel, defense attorneys for Johnson-Lee and Queen, respectively, questioned the witness on his ability to solely secure a “scene of that magnitude.” McDaniel stated that it was “impossible” to secure the scene because there were “a lot of people moving around in that area,” insinuating that the scene had been contaminated.

The witness confirmed with McDaniel that he is unaware of who had the gun before he arrived, or if the gun had been fired during the incident.

The prosecution also called on a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) special agent who extracted video from a residence on the corner of 7th and Longfellow Street, NW.

The security camera footage showed a black sedan crossing the intersection and braking further down the street. The car then stopped to release three apparently armed individuals dressed in all black, who crept toward the intersection with their guns pointed forward.

The three men crouched behind the residence and repeatedly fired their guns. Afterwards, they fled, and the sedan sped off eastbound on Longfellow Street.

The prosecution called on Dyson’s mother to testify, who tearfully discussed her close relationship with Dyson. The witness now has full custody of Dyson’s children, stating that “[Dyson] would have been a grandmother by now, she has two grandchildren.”

Lastly, the prosecution called on a neighbor, questioning her about her efforts to save Baxter before paramedics arrived.

The witness, a military-trained doctor, testified that she heard the gunshots and ran outside her house as soon as the shooting stopped to offer medical assistance.

Upon arriving, she quickly assessed the situation to determine who needed help most urgently. She then began treating Baxter with a “penetrating chest wound,” applying pressure to control the pleading.

When checking for signs of life, she found no pulse and said, “I can’t get a femoral [pulse] and I can’t get a radial [pulse].”

Parties reconvene on April 10.