Trump proposes death penalty for murder convictions after father of 2 killed in DC
Father of 2 shot, killed in Southeast DC
A 12-day streak without a homicide amid this federal police takeover of D.C. came to an end just after midnight Tuesday when a married father of two was shot and killed in Southeast D.C. Tonight, the victim's family is speaking only to our Shomari Stone.
WASHINGTON - D.C.'s homicide-free streak came to an end this week after a man was killed in Southeast.
The city saw 12 days without a murder before a married father of two was killed early Tuesday morning in Southeast D.C.
What we know
The shooting in D.C. ended the District’s dozen days without a homicide. It happened as the Trump administration continues to flood the city with federal agents and National Guard troops.
D.C. police found 31-year-old Franck Mohdjiom with a gunshot wound in the hallway, his wife says.
Someone shot him at an apartment around 12:30 a.m. in the 300 block of Anacostia Road. Medics drove him to a hospital where he later died.
Police have not yet released a suspect’s description or a motive, in this case.
A family shattered
Mohdiom lived in an apartment in Southeast with his wife of three years and their two sons, ages four and five months.
His wife was so heartbroken that she couldn’t speak on camera but she wanted FOX 5 to show their quiet family home. She said Mohdiom was the provider for the family.
RELATED: DC homicide-free streak ends with deadly shooting in southeast during Trump’s federal crackdown
Trump comments
Following the deadly shooting, Trump announced that his administration will seek the death penalty as punishment for murders in the city.
"If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington D.C., we're going to be seeking the death penalty. And that's a very strong preventative and everybody that's heard of it agrees with it," Trump said.
The death penalty was repealed by the D.C. Council back in the 80s.
"I fully agree with the President saying that because the people that commit all these killings and stuff going on, you kill innocent people."
Now, the president says prosecutors will ask for the death penalty in all killing cases in the District
What we don’t know
It is unclear exactly how this would work as D.C. has effectively abolished the death penalty for violations of the D.C. code.
However, the District is still subject to Congressional oversight and in federal cases, like the recent murder of two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum, the DOJ has the final say on whether to seek capital punishment.
It also may be difficult to convince a D.C. jury or judge to impose the death penalty.
FOX 5 asked D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro whose office would be responsible for prosecuting death penalty cases in the District and how she plans to get over those hurdles. She said it will be a deliberative process as it always is with senior Justice Department officials.
"I think it's really up to a jury as opposed to the judges and I think what the public is seeing has been far too violent, one of the most violent cities, unfortunately, and it is time we recognize that law and order is back in D.C. and we will use all legal sanctions as called for by law," Pirro said.
What’s next
Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to call D.C. police. There is a reward of up to $25,000for information that leads to an arrest and a conviction.