In the spring of 2025, a wave of shock and grief rippled through a Washington, D.C. community when 17-year-old Angel Ernesto Dominguez was senselessly killed. On the afternoon of May 29th, the young man, who was remembered by loved ones as a happy and spirited individual, was fatally shot in Northwest D.C. He had recently started a job at a restaurant and was also training to become a construction worker, looking forward to a future that was tragically cut short.
The fatal encounter
unfolded on Florida Avenue, where Dominguez was approached by a classmate, 20-year-old Carlton Simon. According to court documents, as Dominguez walked away, Simon pointed a gun at his back. The situation escalated dramatically when Simon put Dominguez in a chokehold and then shot him in the chest. Despite the immediate response from D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Angel Ernesto Dominguez succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The incident marked the 69th homicide in the city that year, leaving a family and a community to grapple with the devastating consequences of gun violence.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department launched an intensive investigation. Their efforts led them to identify Carlton Simon as the primary suspect. He was subsequently arrested on September 16, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder while armed. During a preliminary hearing, prosecutors presented evidence that included surveillance footage allegedly showing Simon at the scene of the crime and his subsequent flight path. Investigators also reportedly found incriminating evidence on Simon's cellphone, including images and song lyrics that alluded to violence. Following his arrest, a judge found probable cause to hold Simon without bond pending trial.
