A 23-count indictment has charged Irving Johnson with first-degree murder in a Columbia Heights shooting that left two men dead.
Johnson pleaded innocent to the charges in court on Friday.
Sade Stephens, charged with being an accessory after the fact to the shooting, pleaded innocent also.
A trial date was set for Feb. 4, 2013.
The indictment charges that on June 21, 2011 Irving shot at one person and destroyed another person’s property. It further charges that on July 9, Irving shot at Jimmie Simmons, Dominique Barbour, and two others. Simmons and Barbour were killed.
MPD identified Dominique Barbour as “Dominique Barber.” Court records indicate the “Barbour” spelling.
Johnson was arrested Sept. 9 on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder while armed and one count of assault with intent to kill.
The 23-count indictment charges Johnson with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, three counts of assault with intent to kill, one count of aggravated assault, one count of destruction of property, and ten weapons offenses.
Stephens is charged with being an accessory after the fact, three counts of obstruction and two counts of perjury.
Charging documents in the case state that Barbour and Simmons were out on the street in Northwest DC in the early morning hours of July 9. Early reports indicated that the group of men was gambling when a man walked up and fired a gun. Simmons was shot once— in his right cheek. Barber was shot three times– twice in the head and once in the leg.
At a preliminary hearing in Nov. 2011, MPD Detective Anthony Brigidini testified that Domonique Barbour, Simmons and friends of theirs blamed Johnson for a robbery that had taken place in their neighborhood several years before and they were concerned that he was out of jail.
A copy of the indictment is below.
