Keith Banks - police tape in a park

From DC Police reports: On Friday, November 12, 2010, at approximately 3:00 am, units from the Fourth District were dispatched to investigate the report of sounds of gunshots at the intersection of 12th Street and Crittenden Street NE, Washington DC. Upon arrival, a canvas of the surrounding area led the units to the 1100 block of Galloway Street NE, where they discovered the victim. Keith Banks, 29, of the 300 block of Quackenbos Street NW, was unconscious, unresponsive, and found to be suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported him to a local area hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

This murder site is in a lovely park in an area of the city that is generally very safe. I had not been to this neighborhood before while documenting street memorials.

Shalom.

Jamal Wilson's street memorial

From DC Police reports: On Sunday, November 14, 2010, at approximately 12:30 am, units from the Fifth District responded to the unit block of P Street NW, Washington DC, to investigate the report of a shooting. Upon their arrival they located Jamal Wilson, 19, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS transported him to a local area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
On Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at 2:40 pm, Kwan Kearney, 19, of Northeast DC, was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder while Armed in the shooting death of Mr. Wilson.

A neighbor told me this shrine is about 1/2 block from where the shooting actually occurred, and that the street had generally been quiet of late, prior to this sad incident.

A small observation- while I have seen favorite foods displayed/offered at several shrines, it was interesting to see this can of string beans.

Peace, peace, peace.

Big Weed - many libations for Marquis Wade

From police reports: At approximately 8:46 pm on Saturday, February 27, 2010, officers from the 7th District responded to the 300 block of Parkland Place SE, Washington DC. to investigate the report of a shooting, Upon arrival, they located an adult male lying on the sidewalk at that location suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The victim, Marquis Wade, 20, of the 300 block of Parkland Place, SE was transported to an area hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

I was shown this bottle shrine by some girls who lived nearby. I met a very positive young man, Ken, at the site, who was related to Marquis by marriage. We had a long discussion about the nature of the neighborhood, its effects on people, and efforts to try to clean things up physically, spiritually, and economically.

I visited this memorial a second time, with researcher Melanie Moore of GWU, and spoke to other neighbors and relatives. They said he was a good dude, loved Heineken, was known to all as "Big Weed," and left four small children fatherless in his life's wake. The shrine has been taken down and rebuilt a couple of times, and some visit and drink and pour libations daily.

Murder... the miserable inverse of Creation, and the Creator's purpose.

Selah.

Note: The spot where he died is documented at:
http://dcshrines.blogspot.com/2010/04/marquis-wades-last-spot-on-earth.html

Darnell Lucas - gone and remembered

From police reports: On Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at approximately 10:00 pm, while on patrol, officers from the Seventh District heard sounds of gunshots. The officers then canvassed the area and discovered an adult male victim on the sidewalk of the 2700 block of Langston Place SE, Washington DC, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim, Darnell Lucas, 37, of Capital Heights, MD, to Prince George’s Community Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

I spoke with several nice young girls in the neighborhood, who showed me two other new shrines within one block of this one.

Sad for Mr. Lucas and his clan, and also sad that children have to grow up in such a dangerous situation.

Memorial to Marquice Ayers / Langston Place SE

Memorial to Marquice Ayers, in the 2700 block Langston Place SE, Washington DC.

From press reports: On November 8, 2010, DC police officers responded to a report of gunfire in the 200 block of Langston Place SE, Washington DC, and found Marquice Ayers, 22, of R Street NW, who had been shot several times. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

I was shown this shrine by some young girls in the neighborhood.

G-Code shrine / Bible Good Character

T shirt shrine, 2700 block Langston Place SE, Washington DC.

I was shown this shrine by Ken, who I met a nearby site, and had grow up in this neighborhood. He knew the memorial had been kept up for several years, and was not at the site where the murder occurred, but where the victim liked to hang out. Ken, and others I spoke to, thought the victim was named George, but no last name seemed known. Apparently people leave the shrine alone and respect it, even children.

I could find no solid records as to whom this shrine honors in online searches. It is possibly Gemel Lamont Williams of the 300 block of Parkland Place, SE, who was killed at approximately 1:20 am on Saturday, August 30, 2008, but I am not sure.

In any case, someone loved him, and still cares.




Update December 2011:
Two guys who were there when I revisited this site on 12/30/11 said it was from 3 years go- likely to Gemel Williams. It is being maintained. Someone does indeed still care.

Shrine to unknown victim 4200 block of 1st Street SE, Washington DC - RIP

This shrine is in the 4200 block of 1st Street SE, Washington DC, and was pointed out to me by some neighbors in the 4000 block, who directed me to the site of the murder.

I am not sure who it is. There have been a number of murders in the area this year.

It may be for Michael Milton Wilson, 47, who was killed a block away on S. Capitol Street on August 22, 2010, or for Rico Matthews, 36, who was shot to death in the in the 4000 block of S. 1st Street on November 5, 2010.

I got an email message from someone who does not think the shrine is to Mr. Matthews.

I have no clear evidence as to whom it honors, but suffice it to say, some family and friends created it when their hearts were heavy with loss.

Marker / Angel Morse

From police reports: On Friday, October 29, 2010, at approximately 3:45 pm units from the Fourth District responded to the 500 block of Madison Street NW, Washington, DC, for the report of a shooting. They located three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported two victims to area hospitals with non life threatening injuries. One victim, Angel Morse, 13, of NW DC, was pronounced dead on the scene.

At approximately 5:50 pm, an off duty US Park Police officer, after hearing the lookout broadcast on WTOP Radio, spotted the vehicle the suspect. Sixth District officers attempted to stop the fleeing vehicle on Kenilworth Avenue. The suspect refused to stop and continued fleeing into Maryland where he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a building near the intersection of Kenilworth Avenue and Eastern Avenue. Robert Carter, 39, of NW DC is currently being held in Prince George’s County detention.

“Although this is a sad situation, it is also a prime example of how we all can work together to make Washington DC a safer place. With cooperation from the community, the media, other local law enforcement agencies, and an alert off duty police officer, we were able to bring this case to a swift end without further loss of life.” said DC Police Chief Lanier.

Good work by the cops... but still, another family is grieving for the loss of their child.

Heaven help us all.

In memory of Jinnell Barbara McQueen

On Sunday, November 07, 2010, at approximately 12:30 am, Seventh District units responded to the 1200 block of Eaton Road SE, Washington DC, to investigate the sound of a gunshot. Upon arriving, they found a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS determined that the victim did not show any signs of life. Jinnell Barbara McQueen, 42, of Seat Pleasant MD, was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and pronounced dead.

This is in the Barry Farms neighborhood.

One of her neighbors spoke to me of how he had hoped the neighborhood had turned the tide away from earlier episodes of fatal violence. He was quite saddened and upset to learn of the loss of life marked and memorialized by this shrine.

Bottle Shrine 1200 Block Eaton Road SE

This bottle shrine may be a shrine that has been kept up for any number of souls who lost their lives to violence in this block of the Barry Farm neighborhood of SE Washington DC.

Libations...