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Lasanta McGill, 62, was shot and killed when an argument inside a Northwest DC market spilled out into the street and shots were fired, according to police.
Federal prosecutors announced on Monday, Aug. 28 that Southeast DC resident Demarcus Barnett has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed in connection to the fatal shooting.
As part of his guilty plea, Barnett admitted that after being robbed by two people, he chased after them and fired wildly down the sidewalk, killing McGill.
Metropolitan Police Commander James Boteler said that at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, June 8, officers in the area of the 1900 block of 7th Street NW heard gunshots ring out while on patrol near the Howard Theater.
Upon arrival, they found and treated McGill, who suffered a gunshot wound until paramedics arrived to take him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead that afternoon.
With an assist from nearby witnesses and the responding officers, a shooting suspect was taken into custody and a weapon recovered at the scene of the shooting.
Barnett was identified as a suspect the day after the shooting and he was arrested on a murder while armed charge.
Police say that the initial investigation determined that there was an altercation inside a nearby deli/market involving at least three people that made its way onto the street.
During the argument, Barnett allegedly took out a gun and began shooting, striking McGill.
It is believed that McGill was not involved in the initial dispute inside the store and "was just out on the block enjoying the weather," Boteler said.
"This just goes to reaffirm that we have way too many people on our streets in Washington, DC carrying illegal firearms who have no business carrying illegal firearms," he added. "We do our best every single day as an agency along with our federal partners, and we do it very well.
"Unfortunately, there are too many people carrying illegal firearms, and simple disputes that lead to gunfire is unacceptable in any city, especially here in Washington, DC."
Barnett is scheduled to be sentenced in October.
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