In the spring of 2025, a quiet apartment building in Northeast Washington, D.C. became the scene of a tragedy that would take months to fully unravel. On the afternoon of May 2nd, police were called to the 600 block of 21st Street NE for a report of a shooting. Inside one of the apartments, they discovered 61-year-old Steven Stewart, a male resident of the neighborhood. He was found unconscious and not breathing, having suffered from apparent gunshot wounds.
Despite the quick response of DC Fire and EMS, there were no signs of life, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the immediate aftermath, the Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation, appealing to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest and conviction. A reward of up to $25,000 was offered as detectives worked to piece together the events that led to Stewart's untimely death. For weeks, the case remained under investigation with no suspects publicly identified, leaving a sense of uncertainty in the community.
Months later, a breakthrough in the case brought the first measure of resolution for those mourning Stewart's loss. On August 22, 2025, homicide detectives, working with members of the Metropolitan Police Department's Sixth District, located and arrested 62-year-old Phillip Palmer of Northeast, D.C. A grand jury indictment led to his arrest, and he was charged with First Degree Murder While Armed under the theory of felony murder. The investigation did not stop there. A second suspect was identified, and on September 2, 2025, members of the United States Marshals Service apprehended 42-year-old Randall Mack, also of Northeast. He faced the same charge of First Degree Murder While Armed for his alleged role in the fatal shooting.
Court proceedings later revealed that both Palmer and Mack were also charged with conspiracy, armed robbery, and firearm offenses, suggesting the shooting occurred during a robbery allegedly orchestrated by Palmer through a drug transaction. Prosecutors presented a plea offer to both men, which would have required them to plead guilty to second-degree murder while armed in exchange for dismissing the other charges. Both Phillip Palmer and Randall Mack rejected the offer, choosing instead to proceed to trial.
