It was DC’s deadliest week this year: four shootings and a stabbing leaving five men dead and five more injured.
The victims: Crevontai Key, 19, Julius Barnett Ellington, 35, Charles Anthony Scott Jr, 20, Michael Edward Jones, 30, and Davon Brown, 22.
As of Wednesday night, four of those cases had been closed with an arrest.
Calvin Shaw was arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree murder in Key’s death. Charging documents make the case that the shooting could have been gang related.
Donzell Butler was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with Scott’s death. Charging documents state that Butler followed Scott out of a carryout then stabbed him.
On Wednesday, Joseph Peoples was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with Jones’ death and Jashua Johnson was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in connection with Brown’s death. Peoples and Johnson are likely to be presented with the charges at DC Superior Court Thursday.
Of the five homicides last week, only the double shooting on Morton Street NW that killed Ellington remains open.
The arrests brought relief to District residents concerned with crime.
“Good work MPD,” tweeted DC Guardian Angels.
The week’s closure rate (80 percent) is higher than the closure rate year-to-date, which is 51 percent.
Of the 49 homicide cases in 2012, 23 have been closed with an arrest and 2 have been closed because they were determined to be “justified homicide by citizen.”
At the end of 2011, the closure rate for homicides that occurred in that calendar year was 61 percent.
