Diallobe McDougald - site of his demise: 1800 block Central Place NE

From a DC police report: On Monday, October 28, 2013, at approximately 3:43 pm, units from the Fifth District responded for the report of a stabbing in the 1800 block Central Place NE, Washington DC. Upon arrival, members located an adult male suffering from an apparent stab wound. DC Fire and EMS personnel transported the victim, identified as Diallobe McDougald, 38, to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injury and was pronounced dead.  

More information is available on this case is available at Homicide Watch.

This forlorn site is in one of the city's most challenged neighborhoods.
Adjacent to the site was a banner for a Habitat for Humanity project.


A prayer for peace.

James Baxter - crime tape in the alley behind 500 block of 48th Place NE, Washington DC

On Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at approximately 11:46 pm, patrol officers from the Sixth District responded to the 500 block of 48th Place NE, Washington DC, for the sounds of gunshots. Upon their arrival, they located unconscious adult male in the alley in the rear of the 500 block of 48th Place, NE, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene to initiate life saving measures, but found no signs consistent with life. The remains of the decedent, identified as James Baxter, 46, were transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner pending an autopsy and a determination of a cause and manner of death.

All that I was able to find at this lonely site was some police crime tape, and an investigator's blue glove.

May he rest in peace, and his loved ones be consoled.

More information about Mr. Baxter is available on HomicideWatch.

Street honors for Devar Battle, 30th Street SE DC

From HomicideWatch, quoting an as-yet unposted DC police report: On Saturday, September 28, 2013 at approximately 12:40 am, patrol officers from the Seventh District responded to the 3000 block of 30th Street SE, Washington DC, for the report of sounds of gunshots. Upon their arrival, they located an adult male suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim, identified as Devar Battle, 24, to a local hospital where he was pronounced.

This memorial is in a neighborhood that has seen many street shrines built for victims of local violence in recent years.

A prayer for peace.

This shrine was added to. Here are some additional images.

Memorial for Kenny Diaz- Marumsco Acre Lake Park in Woodbridge

From BullRunNow: On September 21, 2013 at 3:15 PM, police responded to Marumsco Acre Lake Park located at 14398 Melbourne Avenue in Woodbridge for a stabbing. Caller reported to police that a man was found in the park bleeding from an apparent stab wound to his stomach. The victim, identified as Kenny Joseph Diaz, 18, was transported to an area hospital where he died. This is Prince William County’s 4th homicide of 2013.

     On September 23rd, detectives from the Violent Crimes Bureau made multiple arrests in the murder of Kenny Diaz. During the investigation, detectives discovered that the stabbing was connected to an unreported armed robbery committed against a friend of Diaz. The investigation into the robbery revealed that the suspect, Diandra Samuels, robbed the friend of Diaz of an undisclosed amount of currency. Upon learning of the robbery, Diaz and other acquaintances planned to confront Samuels. During that encounter, multiple acquaintances of Samuels were also present. One of those acquaintances, Dominic Smith, assaulted one of the other parties with a handgun which was taken from one of the acquaintances who accompanied Diaz. This caused the group to disperse and flee on foot. Diaz was not able to get away and was subsequently assaulted by Samuels and forced into a vehicle by Samuels and other acquaintances and driven to the park where he was stabbed and killed by Samuels.

Detectives worked extensively on this case and were able to identify all of the parties involved.These encounters were not random and stemmed from drug dealings.

     On September 24th, 2013, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force located and arrested two additional suspects involved in the murder of Kenny Diaz. Both suspects were arrested without incident. Ariel Juanita Adams, 19,  and Gibreal Jama Guled, 32, of no fixed address were charged with abduction.

This shrine is on a pathway very near the entrance to the park. Mr. Diaz was a high school student and a popular football player. May his family and community find justice and peace.

Much more information on this case is in the Washington Post.

Street memorial to the victims of the mass shooting at the Navy Yard

This spontaneous shrine has been created in memory of the thirteen people killed in the Navy Yard shooting of Monday, September 16, 2013. It is in the 600 block of M Street SE, Washington, DC, just outside the main gate.

It honors Aaron Adams, Arthur Daniels, Frank Kohler, Gerald L. Read, John Roger Johnson, Kathy Gaarde, Kenneth Bernard Proctor, Martin Bodrog, Mary Francis Knight, Michael Arnold, Richard Michael Ridgell, Sylvia Frasier, and Vishnu Pandit. May they rest in peace, and their families be comforted.

The alleged gunman, Aaron Alexis, also died in the shooting episode.

More complete information is available at HomicideWatch.
and the Washington Post.

I revisited this memorial recently. There were some additions made to the site, as below.

Candles, bears, hearts, and roses for Donald Ray Brown - 900 block of Third Street SW

From a DC police report: On Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at approximately 9:18 pm, officers from the First District responded to the 200 block of K Street SW, Washington DC, for the report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they were directed to the 900 block of 3rd Street SW where they located an unconscious adult male suffering from apparent multiple gunshot wounds.  DC Fire and EMS responded and transported the victim, identified as Donald Ray Brown, 28, to a local hospital where he was pronounced. A second juvenile female victim was located suffering from a gunshot wound to the hand. She was transported to an area hospital for treatment and released.

The shooting occurred in a courtyard area of the Greenleaf Gardens apartments.  This memorial has been erected on the sidewalk in the parking lot. It is just a couple of blocks from Arena Stage and the DC waterfront.

There is more and ongoing information at HomicideWatch.

I rephotographed this memorial. Here are some additional images from the site.

Double shrine for Alonte Sutton and Marcus Brown - Newcomb Street SE

While looking for a possible new shrine to a recent slaying victim in this neighborhood, I encountered this legacy memorial at the edge of a park in the 200 block of Newcomb Street SE
Washington, DC. It honors Alonte Michael Sutton, who was killed on May 8, 2010, and Marcus Brown, who was killed June 14, 2009.

The DC police report for Mr. Sutton.  At approximately 10:50 a.m. on Sunday, May 9, 2010, members from the Seventh District responded to the 200 block of Newcomb Street, SE, Washington DC, for the report of a missing person. While investigating this report, members received information that the missing person had been seen the day before in the 200 block of Newcomb Street SE being chased into a wooded area by a suspect who was shooting at him. This information was consistent with a report of the sound of gunshots in the area that police had responded to on the previous day.
Officers conducted a search of the wooded area and discovered the body of a male victim at the bottom of a steep incline where he had apparently fallen and was also suffering from several gunshot wounds.  Officers found no signs consistent with life. The victim has been identified as Alonte Michael Sutton.

Demarcus Brown had an earlier shrine erected in his honor. It was documented on this blog at the time (the DC police report is linked there).


Obviously someone in the area cares greatly for them, and has kept their memories alive with this ongoing shrine.

Yellow tape | 700 block of Langston Terrace NE; for Tracy Lamont Day

From a DC police report: On Friday, August 23, 2013 at approximately 11:12 pm, patrol officers from the Fifth District responded to the 700 block of Langston Terrace NE, Washington DC, for the report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they located an adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim, identified as Tracy Lamont Day, 38, to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. 

I spoke with two women, both mothers of school-aged children, at the site of this crime-scene tape. They said that though there are obvious challenges, this historic complex has generally been a fairly safe environment for their families.

Peace.

More information on this case is on Homicidewatch.

Street Memorial to Mikey Ledbetter, Southeast DC

This large street memorial to Mikey Ledbetter is near the corner of 18th and Q Streets SE, Washington DC.

From a DC police report: On Friday, August 2, 2013, at approximately 5:29 am, Sixth District officers received a radio assignment for a shooting at 18th and Q Street, SE, Washington, DC. Upon their arrival, the officers discovered a male victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. DC Fire and EMS transported the victim, identified as Mikey Ledbetter, 36, to an area hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

On August 2, 2013 at approximately 1:40 pm, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Melvin Quick, 27, and charged him with First Degree Murder while Armed.

There is more information about Mr. Ledbetter and Mr. Quick at HomicideWatch.

I revisited this shrine a couple of weeks after the initial documentation. There were significant additions and changes made to it. I have added these new images, one of which depicts a baptism.