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No bond for DC teen accused of shooting, killing man in Northeast
The 16-year-old boy arrested for shooting and killing a man inside a luxury apartment complex in Northeast D.C. will remain behind bars, following a judge's decision on Wednesday. FOX 5's Katie Barlow has more.
WASHINGTON - The 16-year-old boy arrested for shooting and killing a man inside a luxury apartment complex in Northeast D.C. will remain behind bars, following a judge's decision on Wednesday.
Keyonte Johnson is facing a federal murder charge. He is being tried as an adult.
What we know:
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced that Johnson has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 20-year-old D.C. resident Roy Bennett, Jr., on the evening of Dec. 5.
According to investigators with the Metropolitan Police Department, Johnson, the victim and several other people were at an apartment near Union Market in Northeast D.C. that was being used as a recording studio.
While the victim was standing at the microphone, Johnson, who was sitting behind him on a sofa, began shooting Bennett, hitting him seven times, including twice in the back of the head and twice in the chest.
Police say that as Johnson fled the scene, he threatened to kill a potential witness if they said anything about the murder.
Court proceedings:
Johnson appeared in court before Judge Renee Raymond wearing a grey hoodie sweatshirt and black sweatpants. His lawyer, Jesse Winograd, appeared remotely via Zoom, arguing for his release.
Winograd emphasized how young Johnson is and that Johnson should be allowed to continue with schooling while under house arrest and in the custody of his mother and aunt.
The judge disagreed, saying there was no condition or combination of conditions that would ensure the safety of the community if Johnson was released, even under house arrest.
During the exchange about detention, Johnson's lawyer indicated that he was friends with Bennett, suggesting that there would be no motive for Johnson to kill him.
The prosecutor, however, suggested the motive may have been related to the death of Johnson's brother earlier this year.
Dig deeper:
FOX 5 spoke with his family briefly, including his mother and aunt, who sat in the back of the courtroom for over an hour waiting for his name to be called by the judge.
They did not want to provide any official statement, but they tried to shout out to Johnson as he was heading back to his jail cell from the courtroom.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro posted about the arrest on X, saying it "is yet another example of the out-of-control underage crime plaguing D.C." and pushing for more power to prosecute juveniles.
"President Trump is right — it is time to put an end to this predictable violence and time to lower the age of accountability so that I can start prosecuting these young criminals before they commit murder," Pirro went on to say in a statement.
Johnson is due back in court on Jan. 14.