UPDATE: Jurors found Calvin Shaw guilty on all counts Thursday afternoon after deliberating for approximately four hours.
Closing arguments in the case of Calvin Shaw were delivered Thursday after a four day trial full of emotional testimony by survivors of the shooting, something the defense calls “unreliable,” and “full of doubt.”
Crevontai Key, 19, was killed nearly two years ago on the Fourth of July while celebrating with five of his close friends. They were all shot at, twenty eight times, outside one of their homes in Northeast D.C.
Three of the men were seriously injured and four of the survivors say they saw Shaw, also known as “Shocka,” pull the trigger that day.
Shaw, 22, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder while armed and other related assault and weapon charges for the July 4, 2012, shooting. He is also charged with a separate shooting that happened at the same location on April 18, 2012 in the 500 block of First Street Northwest.
Prosecutors believe the shootings are connected. Shaw is charged with a total of forty counts the jury began deliberations Thursday.
During Thursday’s closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury Shaw shot at the six men who were laughing and talking, without any provocation or any exchange of words.
“Only someone who feels untouchable goes up to your house and shoots at you in broad daylight,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kerkhoff.
During the six day trial prosecutors presented eye witness testimony from those who were present and survived the July fourth shooting. Ballistic evidence and Shaw’s phone records and cell site information were also presented during trial.
Prosecutors believe this evidence places Shaw at the scene but defense attorney Steven Kiersh argued the same evidence proves Shaw was close by but not at the scene when the shooting happened.
During closing arguments Kiersh told jurors none of the eye witness testimony is reliable calling it biased and emotional. Kiersh asked jurors to, “listen to the words.”
“He said, he thinks this is the shooter, and that’s what you need to look at,” said Kiersh as he read back the testimony of one of the men standing with Key when the shooting happened.
“If you have a doubt for which you can give a reason, then the only verdict is not guilty,” Kiersh said.
Brown had previously testified to the grand jury saying he looked the shooter, “dead in the eyes” and that he was, “positive,” it was Shaw, but during his recent testimony said he could not recall.
Prosecutors said it was hard for all the witnesses to take the stand and face this “untouchable” man. They reminded jurors of the nervous energy displayed by some of the witnesses and asked the jurors to “focus on the big picture.”
Jamar Savage-Bay, 21, linked the shootings but while on the stand he refused to cooperate with prosecutors.
Bay refused to give an in court identification of Shaw saying, “No I’m not pointing him out” and “man you know where he at.” Bay railed against Kerkhoff several times during his testimony, saying she lied to force him to testify and refusing to answer some of her questions.
While up on the stand Bay did recall Key’s final moments telling the court what happened moments after the shooting.
“He was bleeding. I pulled his body up and he was taking his last breath. Blood started coming out of his mouth. He pissed his-self and then he was gone,” said Bay.
Jury deliberations are expected to continue Friday.
Additional reporting by Dana Jennings.
