Memorial for Marcellus Darnaby on Delafield Place NW

From a DC Police report: On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at approximately 1:04 am, units from the Fourth District were dispatched to the 300 block of Delafield Place NW, Washington DC, for the sounds of gunshots. Upon their arrival, they located an adult male victim inside an apartment suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim, Marcellus J. Darnaby, 32, to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced dead.

Sad. Peace to his friends and family.

More information on Mr. Darnaby's case at HomicideWatch.

Isaiah Harris's shrine on New Jersey Ave NW

Isaiah Harris was an 8th grade student at Garnett-Patterson Middle School. He was murdered while walking with a friend very near his school.

From a DC Police report: On Monday, May 30, 2011, at approximately 10:15 pm, units from the Fifth District responded to the 1400 block of New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington DC, to investigate sounds of gunshots. Upon their arrival, they discovered a juvenile male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. They also located another victim nearby suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS transported both victims to a local area hospital. At 10:58 pm the first victim, Isaiah Harris, 15, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

On Wednesday, June 01, 2011, at approximately 9:30 pm, 26-year-old Eugene Antoine Kelly, 26, was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder while Armed.

There is considerably more material on the life and the sad end of young Mr. Harris at HomicideWatch.

Car & bottle shrine for Alphonzo "Fee" Epps / Ainger Place SE

This large and unusual shrine to Mr. Epps was constructed on a Cadillac in the courtyard where he lost his life.

From a DC Police report:
On Tuesday, May 3, 2011, at approximately 10:00 pm, units from the Seventh District responded to the 2300 block of Ainger Place SE, Washington DC, to investigate a disorderly call. Upon their arrival, they located an adult male victim, Alphonzo Epps, 20, who was unconscious, unresponsive, and suffering from an apparent stab wound. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim to a local area hospital. At 10:45 pm the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

I spoke at length with a resident who recognized me from visits to prior shrines in this same courtyard. She said this killing was totally senseless, and involved a dispute over romantic loyalties. In her view, it should have been settled with words rather than violence. Mr Epps, whose nickname was "Fee" leaves behind a child. This shrine was built on his car, and is being maintained by his friends and grieving family, and candles are lit upon it at night.

May there be peace to his soul, and support and strength to his child.

HomicideWatch has additional information

Shrine for Glenn Bailey / 7th & Edgewood NE

This large shrine is at the entrance of a parking lot to a large apartment complex.

From HomicideWatch:

Glenn M. Bailey, 46, was fatally stabbed May 17, 2011, in the area of 7th and Edgewood Streets NE, Washington DC. Police responding to a call arrived in the area at 3:40 p.m. and found Bailey breathing, but unconscious, unresponsive and bleeding profusely, according the Washington Post . He was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Washington Post said police are searching for two men and a woman who were involved in an argument at an apartment complex on Edgewood Street. In a northeast DC parking lot on Tuesday, prosecutors believe Glenn Bailey, in the heat of an argument, told a woman to "get her boyfriend." She said she could "do it herself," and the two exchanged blows. Bailey was killed when a man pushed the woman aside, and stabbed Bailey at least four times, breaking one of his ribs and puncturing his lung. Bailey died less than a half hour later. Two witnesses identified Damien Pannell, 30, as responsible for the stabbing, Mr. Pannell has been arrested and charged with the slaying.

Justice... and peace, peace, peace...

RIP tags for Moeconi Crutchfield

These memorial tags to Mr. Crutchfield, and perhaps others from previous incidents, were created in an alley behind the busy intersection of Minnesota and Pennsylvania Avenues SE, Washington DC, in the back of a pizza shop.

From a DC police report:
On Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at approximately 9:45 pm, units from the Sixth District responded to the rear of the 2400 block of Minnesota Avenue SE, Washington, DC. Upon their arrival they found an adult male victim, Moeconi Crutchfield, 30, suffering from gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim to a local hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead.


More specific information is available at HomicideWatch.

Shrine for James Speakes Jr. / Oxon Hill MD

This memorial, just a block from the DC city line, is in the parking lot of a small liquor store. It is in remembrance of the life of James Speakes Jr.

From a police report:
On May 11, 2011 at approximately 7:04 pm., Prince Georges County patrol officers responded to the 4400 block of Wheeler Road, Oxon Hill MD, for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found James William Speaks, Jr., 28, in the parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Peace now...

More information on the situation:

Flowers/double homicide- Okasha Hawkins and Joshua Carrol

This small flower shrine is in the 600 block of Modoc Lane, in Forest Heights, Maryland, just a few blocks beyond the DC line.
It is at the site of the slayings of Okasha M. Hawkins, 22, and Joshua Carrol, 23.
From a police report:
Prince George's County Police officers were called to the 600 block of Modoc Lane in Forest Heights to investigate a report of the sound of gun shots around 1:50 am on May 17, 2011. Patrol officers responding to the scene found a male victim suffering from body trauma, who was pronounced dead at the scene. During their investigation, police said the body of a second male victim was discovered. Both bodies were found outside of the residence at that location but there were not in the same location. No information has been released on possible suspects or motive in the homicide.

For more information on this sad situation, see the blog Gory PG.

RIP Rafael Briscoe / shot by police

This shrine is for Raphael Briscoe, 18, who was shot by a Washington DC police officer. It is in the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE, Washington DC. It was built immediately after his death by friends and family.

There was a large police presence in the neighborhood, and quite a number of sad and agitated people were gathered near the shrine. Many were questioning the situation.

From a DC Police report:
At approximately 2:30 pm April 26, 2011, members of the Gun Recovery Unit on patrol in the 2400 block of Elvans Road SE, encountered a male armed with a gun.
Shots were fired and the suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead. A weapon was recovered.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Force Investigations Team is investigating. The officer has been placed on administrative leave.

Adapted from the Washington Post:
Rafael Briscoe, 18, died after being shot by police in the 2400 block of Elvans Rd SE.

Officers from a gun recovery unit were working in the area Tuesday, police said. While on a patrol, officers encountered a male with a gun. The statement gave few details of how matters unfolded.

Briscoe had a BB gun, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Wednesday during an appearance at Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s weekly press briefing.

“Unfortunately, BB guns are designed to look like semi-automatics,” Lanier said, adding that an officer can’t tell the difference when making a “split-second” decision.

She said she did not know yet whether the suspect fired the BB gun.

For more information, see HomicideWatch.

May justice be found, and peace to all involved in this unhappy situation.

Memorial for Raheem "Gunna" Jackson / Congress Street SE

From DC Police reports: On Thursday, April 7, 2011, at approximately 9:25 pm, members of the Seventh District responded to the report of a shooting in the 1300 block of Congress Street SE, Washington, DC. Upon arrival on the scene, they found a victim, Raheem Jackson, 16, of SE Washington, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported him to the hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

His nickname was "Gunna." He was a junior at HD Woodson High School, and a star player on their basketball team.

More information on Mr. Jackson is on HomicideWatch.


Sad situation.

Memorial for a Double Homicide - Joshua Ruffin and Reginald Williams / Yuma Street SE

So far as I can acertain, this shrine is to Joshua Ruffin, whose funeral was on the same day as these photographs were taken. I spoke with a distraught and tearful woman at the site who also lost her son to violence. She was too upset to attend the funeral. She said the shrine is exactly where Mr. Ruffin's body lay after he was shot.
From DC Police reports: On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at approximately 11:20 pm, members of the Seventh District responded to the report of a shooting in the 700 block of Yuma Street SE, Washington DC. Upon arrival on the scene, they found a male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. They also located another victim in the same area suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the body. DC Fire and EMS transported the second victim to a local hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead. He has been identified as Joshua Ruffin, 20, from SE Washington. The first victim showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead on the scene. He has been identified as Reginald L. Williams Jr. 22, of NE Washington.

For more details, see HomicideWatch.

Police Tape / William Parker / Stanton Road SE

From DC Police reports: On Friday, April 8, 2011, at approximately 8:10 pm, members of the Seventh District responded to the report of a shooting in the area of Stanton Road and Elvans Road SE, Washington DC. Upon arrival on the scene, they found an adult male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 2700 block of Stanton Road, SE. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim to the hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead. The decedent is identified as William Parker, 45, of Capitol Heights, MD.

There have been numerous killings in this neighborhood over the years, but this is the closest I have yet seen to a shrine; and it's just the sad businesslike memento left behind at the scene after the police do their work.

Blessings on Mr. Parker, and peace to his family.

The sign on the pole above the tape points the way to "Our Lady of Perpetual Help" Church.

DC crime tape / Jose Hernandez-Romero

From DC police reports: On Sunday, March 27, 2011, at approximately 2:25 am, members of the Third District responded to the 1200 block of 11th Street, NW Washington DC, for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival on scene, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at approximately 5 am. The victim has been identified as Jose Hernandez-Romero, 24, of the 1400 block of N Street, NW.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found the suspect being restrained by witnesses to the shooting. The suspect , identified as Alexis Pineda 24, was arrested and charged with Murder Two While Armed. A firearm was recovered at the scene.

According to other reports, the killing occurred at the now-closed "El Sauce" bar and restaurant. This police crime tape was in the alley behind the main street.


More on Mr. Hernandez-Romero's death is at HomicideWatch.