2 suspects charged in shooting deaths of 2 boys, ages 12 and 14, in Northeast DC
WASHINGTON - Two suspects have been arrested in connection with an April shooting that claimed the lives of two boys outside a convenience store in Northeast Washington.
What we know:
Antonio Terry, 18, of Washington, D.C., was arrested on Sunday, Oct. 25, and charged with first-degree murder while armed, according to federal prosecutors.
During an initial court appearance, Judge Heide Hermann found probable cause that Terry committed the crime and ordered him held without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for Nov. 9.
During a press conference around 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26, Metropolitan Police Department Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll announced that a second suspect – identified as Markell Woodings – had been arrested just hours earlier.
According to court documents, the shooting occurred at 3:27 p.m. on April 14 outside the Circle 7 Express store in the 700 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE. Investigators said a stolen black Honda Accord pulled up to the entrance of the parking lot, and three masked males stepped out of the vehicle.
The three individuals opened fire on people standing in the parking lot, firing dozens of rounds before getting back inside the Honda and driving away from the scene.
Both victims were Northeast D.C. residents. Tyale Coates, 14, died at the scene of the shooting. Mhilo Young, 12, was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died the following morning.
Police noted following the shooting that while the larger group standing outside the store was targeted, the two boys were not believed to be specific targets.
Carroll said investigators believe the shooting was retaliatory and was motivated in response to an incident that had occurred in another neighborhood.
The arrest was announced by Interim Chief Carroll and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released descriptions or identities for the two other masked gunmen who stepped out of the stolen car and opened fire.
Because security cameras at the convenience store were not functioning at the time of the shooting, detectives did not have surveillance footage from the store itself.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Source: This article was written using information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Metropolitan Police Department and previous reporting by FOX 5 DC.