In the early morning hours of Thursday, January 16, 2025, the life of 32-year-old Terell Cortez West was tragically cut short in a Northwest Washington, D.C. apartment. Metropolitan Police Department officers from the Second District responded to a call for a shooting at approximately 2:31 a.m. in the unit block of Ridge Square. Upon entering the residence, they discovered Mr. West inside, suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. D.C.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived at the scene but found no signs of life, and he was pronounced dead.
The preliminary investigation into the incident suggested that the shooting was the result of a domestic dispute. During the altercation, an adult female was also assaulted with a weapon. She was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The Metropolitan Police Department immediately began a homicide investigation and offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the violent crime.
After a month-long investigation, authorities made an arrest in connection with the death of Terell Cortez West. On Friday, February 21, 2025, pursuant to a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant, detectives took 34-year-old Maurice Ford of Northwest, D.C., into custody. Ford has been charged with Second Degree Murder While Armed for his alleged role in the fatal shooting.
