Vincent Gray | Homicide Watch DC

"I regret that it ever happened," Delron Atchison says at Metro Bus Murder Sentencing

Penny Ray — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:54:59 -0500

Delron Atchison was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in the 2011 fatal shooting of Demetrius Thompson, which took place aboard a crowded W4 Metrobus. Atchison's accomplice, Vincent Gray, was sentenced to 21 years.

Atchison begged for leniency as he wept before Judge Thomas Motley in a crowded courtroom Friday.

“I cry over the situation, I pray for Thompson's kids and family and I accept responsibility for my actions,” Atchison said. “I regret that it ever happened. I'm asking for a second chance.”

Atchison and Gray pled guilty to second-degree murder while armed this past October.

According to the government's proffer of facts, Atchison and Gray fought with Thompson near the Congress Heights Metrorail Station on the evening of Oct. 19, 2011. After the fight, Atchison and Gray drove to the 2300 block of Hartford Street, S.E., to obtain a gun for retaliatory purposes. The men then walked to Alabama Avenue and boarded a W4 Metrobus, where Gray yelled for Thompson to get off the bus.

“Get off the bus; don’t make a scene,” Gray said.

As Atchison and Gray walked down the bus aisle, slowly approaching Thompson, Atchison drew a 9mm handgun and fired twice, striking Thompson with both shots.

The shooting took place approximately 45 minutes after the initial fight, according to documents.

The incident was caught on videotape, which Judge Motley viewed before reading the terms of each sentence.

“Everything you've done is on video,” Motley said. “You were not in danger and you were not hurt in the fight. You did not get on that bus by accident, and because you did, we're here unnecessarily.”

Atchison's sentence, 30 years in prison, is longer than Gray's sentence of 21 years. Gray pled guilty to one count of second-degree murder; Atchison pled guilty to one count of second-degree murder and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.

A press release from the US Attorney's Office is below. Sentencing documents have been added to this post.

Two District Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison For 2011 Slaying of Passenger on Metrobus-Security Video on the Bus Recorded the Shooting -

WASHINGTON – Delron Atchison, 24, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison and Vincent Gray, 22, was sentenced to a 21-year prison term on charges stemming from the slaying of a passenger last year on a Metrobus, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Atchison and Gray, both of Washington, D.C., pled guilty in October 2012 to charges of second-degree murder while armed. Atchison also pled guilty to three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, due to the fact that three other passengers were seated near the victim, Demetrius Thompson, at the time of the Oct. 20, 2011 shooting.

The defendants were sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Honorable Thomas J. Motley.

According to the court papers and the defendants’ own statements during the plea hearing, Atchison and Gray had a fight with Mr. Thompson, 22, on the night of Oct. 19, 2011, in the area of the Congress Heights Metro station. Afterward, the defendants armed themselves.

About 45 minutes later, just after midnight, they saw a bus approaching in the 2100 block of Alabama Avenue SE and thought that Mr. Thompson might be on it. When the bus stopped, Gray got on board and pointed out Mr. Thompson to Atchison. Atchison then boarded the crowded bus, drew a 9-millimeter handgun, and walked directly toward Mr. Thompson, who rose from his seat. Atchison fired at Mr. Thompson two times, striking him with both shots. As the shots were fired, the numerous other passengers and the bus driver fled from the bus. Mr. Thompson crawled off the bus, and collapsed in front of it. He died shortly afterward.

Atchison and Gray, meanwhile, fled from the bus.

Security video on the Metrobus recorded the entire incident. Atchison and Gray were arrested at a hotel in the Orlando, Fla. area five days after the shooting and have been in custody since that time.

“These killers executed a defenseless passenger on a Metrobus in front of a terrified driver and other passengers,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “We owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who tracked these fleeing murderers to Florida and brought them back to D.C. to face justice. Today's lengthy prison sentences are a reflection of our community's outrage at this monstrous display of violence.”
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Metro Transit Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Orange County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office. He also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Scott Sroka, who prosecuted the case.

Delron Atchison and Vincent Gray Plead Guilty in Shooting Death of Demetrius Thompson

Penny Ray — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 09:37:47 -0400

Two men accused in a fatal Metro bus shooting pleaded guilty to the charges against them earlier this month. The men, Vincent Gray and Delron Atchison each were charged with second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in the shooting death of Demetrius Thompson.

According to a proffer of evidence signed by Atchison and Gray, the two men fought with Thomspon near the Congress Heights Metrorail Station on the evening of Oct. 19, 2011. After the fight Atchison and Gray drove to the 2300 block of Hartford Street, S.E., where they parked and obtained a gun, according to the proffer.

At about 11:45 that night, Atchison and Gray walked to the 2200 block of Alabama Avenue, S.E. where they saw a W4 Metrobus traveling towards them on Alabama Avenue. When it stopped, Gray boarded the bus and saw Thompson sitting near the rear exit.

According to the proffer, Gray then yelled out, “Get off the bus; don't make a scene,” and then signaled to Atchison to board the bus. As Atchison walked down the bus aisle, Gray followed behind him. When the two reached within a few feet of Thompson, Atchison drew a 9mm handgun. After a few moments, Atchison fired twice, striking Thompson both times. Atchison and Gray then fled out the back door of the bus.

Thompson died of his injuries a few hours later.

Gray and Atchison were indicted on charges of first-degree murder, assault, and weapons charges in May, about six months after being arrested. They are scheduled for sentencing Dec. 14.

Vincent Gray, Delron Atchison Indicted in Fatal Metro Bus Shooting; Prosecutor Says there are Additional Suspects in the Case

Laura Amico — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:45:07 -0400

Two DC men accused of boarding a Metro bus and fatally shooting a passenger have pled innocent to the charges against them.

Vincent Gray and Delron Atchison were arraigned in court Friday. They are charged with first degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and weapons charges.

At the arraignment Prosecutor Michael Liebman told the court that there are additional co-defendants in the case who were not named in the indictment. MPD has only announced the arrests of Atchison and Gray in connection with the case.

Charging documents in the case alleged that Gray and Atchison boarded the bus at 2125 Alabama Avenue Southeast in search of Demetrius Emmanuel Thompson.

A bus passenger told police that when Gray boarded the bus he said, “I ain’t getting on the bus, I’m just trying to see if someone was on the bus.”

Then he was reported to have said, “Yo, get off the bus. Don’t make me have to cause a scene on the bus.”

Video surveillance from the bus shows both men boarding. The charging documents describe the video this way:

[Gray] and [Atchison] quickly walk together to the back of the bus towards [Thompson].

[Thompson] is observed getting up from his seat and looking indecisive as he appears he wants to run, but has nowhere to go. [Atchison], who is walking in front of [Gray], is observed holding a silver and black semi automatic pistol.

[Thompson] is observed trying to hide on the seat behind a Plexiglass barrier where another passenger is seated.

As [Thompson] is trying to hide, [Atchison] is pointing the gun at him and [Gray] is directly behind and within inches of [Atchison]. [Thompson] appears to be shot and then falls to the ground. Both suspects then flee from the bus through the rear doors.

While the charging documents only make out the case for one assault (Thompson's murder), the indictment names three other victims. The indictment states that assaults against those people also occurred on Oct. 20. Atchison is charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon for each of those three victims. Gray is not charged with those crimes.

Read the indictment below.

Substantial Probability Found in Metro Bus Shooting Case Against Delron Atchison and Vincent Gray

Laura Amico — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:56:22 -0500

Delron Atchison and Vincent Gray were ordered held today after Judge Thomas Motley found substantial probability that they were involved in the fatal shooting of Demetrius Thompson on board a Metro bus in Southeast DC last month.

Both men are suspected of second-degree murder in connection with the case.

Friday's brief preliminary hearing followed the arrests of two young women immediately outside the courtroom where the hearing was to be held. Detectives assigned to the Metro bus shooting case were present for the arrests and said that they were connected to the case.

Details of what that connection might be were not presented at the hearing, which centered on still photographs taken from surveillance video of the shooting from the bus.

Those photographs, said MPD Detective Norma Horne, show a man identified as Gray entering the bus, pointing to Thompson, then a man identified as Atchison passing Gray, raising a gun, and firing at Thompson.

Gray's attorney, Anthony Matthews, argued that it wasn't reasonable to assume that Gray knew Atchison's intention and he could have been pointing to Thompson for any number of reasons. Matthews proffered that one possible reason for pointing would be to say, "let's go give him a wedgie."

Prosecutor Michael Liebman said that Atchison being the shooter did not let Gray off the hook because Gray had been involved in a dispute with Thompson just hours earlier and "had the motive" to go after Thompson.

Atchison and Gray were arrested at a Sheraton hotel in Orlando, Fla five days after Thompson was killed. Liebman argued that their presence there indicated consciousness of guilt on both their parts.

Motley ordered both men held on the charges. A status hearing was set for Feb. 10.

Men Suspected in Metro Bus Shooting Extradited to DC, Hearing Scheduled for Nov. 18

Laura Amico — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:42:00 -0500

Two men suspected of fatally shooting Demetrius Emmanuel Thompson on board a Metro bus last month have been returned to the District from Florida, where they were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder

Delron Atchison, 22, known as "Dale," and Vincent Gray, 21, known as "Vinny," appeared in DC Superior Court Tuesday and were each ordered held pending a preliminary hearing.

They were arrested in Orlando, Fl. on Oct. 25, five days after Thompson was killed.

Charging documents in the case draw largely on surveillance video from the W4 Metro bus which was stopped at 2125 Alabama Avenue Southeast when the shooting took place. That video is described in the charging documents as follows:

During the investigation, investigators were able to obtain video footage from inside and outside of the Metro Bus. Upon viewing the video footage, [Thompson] is observed getting on the Metro bus around the 1500 block of Alabama Avenue, Southeast. When [Thompson] gets on the bus he is observed wearing a red hooded jacket and holding what appears to be a shirt. [Thompson] then walks to the bench seat across from the rear door. [Thompson] is not wearing a shirt. After making another stop, the bus travels to the bus stop in front of 2125 Alabama Avenue, Southeast. Once stopped at the bus stop, several passengers exit the bus.

[Gray], who appears to be a darker skinned black male with a neck length dreadlock style hairdo and wearing a blue and grey striped shirt, is observed getting on the bus and [Atchison] is observed poking his head onto the bus and then starting to walk towards the back of the bus on the outside. [Gray] is observed pointing towards the back of the bus, where [Thompson] is located, and then turns towards the outside of the bus, appearing to say something to [Atchison].

A bus passenger told police that when Gray boarded the bus he said, "I ain't getting on the bus, I'm just trying to see if someone was on the bus."

Then he was reported to have said, "Yo, get off the bus. Don't make me have to cause a scene on the bus."

The video surveillance shows Atchison boarding the bus. The charging documents state:

[Atchison], who appears to be a slightly taller lighter skinned black male with a shoulder length dreadlock style hairdo and wearing a grey long sleeved t-shirt, then gets on the bus and [Gray] and [Atchison] quickly walk together to the back of the bus towards [Thompson].

[Thompson] is observed getting up from his seat and looking indecisive as he appears he wants to run, but has nowhere to go. [Atchison], who is walking in front of [Gray], is observed holding a silver and black semi automatic pistol.

[Thompson] is observed trying to hide on the seat behind a Plexiglass barrier where another passenger is seated.

As [Thompson] is trying to hide, [Atchison] is pointing the gun at him and [Gray] is directly behind and within inches of [Atchison]. [Thompson] appears to be shot and then falls to the ground. Both suspects then flee from the bus through the rear doors.

Also according to charging documents, a witness told police that when asked if he had killed Thompson, Gray said, "No I didn't, it was Dale, I was fighting this guy and he tried to stab me and Dale and him got into it and when we got on the bus Dale just snapped."

Gray and Atchison are scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 18 with Judge Motley.

Charging documents are below.

Vincent Gray and Delron Atchison Arrested in Metro Bus Shooting

Laura Amico — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:02:50 -0400

MPD has confirmed that the two men arrested in Orlando today are 21-year-old Vincent Gray of Southeast, DC, and 22-year-old Delron Atchison of Northeast, DC. Both are suspected in the death of Demetrius Emmanuel Thompson on the W4 Metro bus on Oct. 20.

From MPD:

October 25, 2011

Arrests Made in the Homicide in the 2100 Block of Alabama Avenue, SE

( Washington , DC )-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department have announced that two arrests have been made in the fatal shooting which occurred in the 2100 block of Alabama Avenue, SE.

On Thursday, October 20, 2011, at approximately 12:08 am, units from the Seventh District responded to the 2100 block of Alabama Avenue, SE , for the report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they located the victim lying in the street of that location. DC Fire and Emergency Personnel responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital where he succumbed to injuries and was pronounced dead.

The decedent has been identified as 22 year-old Demetrius Emmanuel Thompson of Southeast, Washington , DC.

On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, authorities from the US Marshals Task Force in Orlando, Florida arrested 21 year-old Vincent Gray of Southeast, DC, and 22 year-old Delron Atchison of Northeast, DC in Orlando, Florida, pursuant to DC Superior Court arrest warrant charging them both with Murder Two while Armed.

They will be held in Orlando , Florida on fugitive from justice charges pending an extradition hearing to Washington , DC , where they will both be charged.

Two Suspects in Metro Bus Shooting in Custody in Orlando, Report Fox5, NBC Washington

Laura Amico — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:43:43 -0400

Fox5 reports that two men, ages 21 and 23, have been taken into custody in connection with the shooting death of Demetrius Thompson on a Metro bus earlier this month.

NBC Washington tweeted this afternoon that they have confirmed the news as well.

Update: This afternoon NBC Washington reported that the suspects are Vincent Gray, 21, and Delron Atchison, 22. They were arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder while armed, NBC Washington reported.

Reports Fox5:

FOX 5 News has confirmed that D.C. Police detectives have two suspects in custody in Florida who are connected in a murder aboard a Metrobus last week.

The two men, a 21-year-old and 23-year-old, were taken into custody on Monday and are awaiting extradition back to D.C. where they will be charged with the shooting murder of 22-year-old Demetrius Thompson.

NBC Washington tweeted that the men were in Orlando.

Two arrested in Orlando in connection with Metrobus slaying. #breaking about 5 hours ago via TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite @nbcwashington NBCWashington

2 Men in Custody in Florida in Connection To Fatal Shooting on Metrobus: MyFoxDC.com

Update: WJLA has now confirmed the story as well. Their report is here.