Charles Young pleaded innocent to five criminal charges Tuesday in connection to the shooting death of 21-year-old Rokeida Spriggs. A grand jury indicted him on second-degree murder while armed and four related weapons charges, all allegedly committed while he was released in connection with another case.
Spriggs was found suffering from a gunshot wound shortly after 1:00 a.m. in the 4900 Block of G Street Southeast on Nov. 22, 2013. She died at a local hospital later that day.
According to charging documents, a witness told police that on the night of the shooting, Spriggs and two other women saw Young with a large black handgun, shouting in the hallway of their apartment building.
Then one of the women sprayed Young with mace, according to another witness, and Young said, “Why the f–k you mace me?”
Documents say the witness then saw Young pull the handgun from his waistband, turn in the direction of Spriggs and the other women, and fire a single gunshot. An autopsy concluded that Spriggs died from a gunshot to the left side of her chest.
A status hearing is scheduled Thursday to set a trial date before Judge Lynn Leibovitz.
A copy of the indictment has been added to the post below.
