In the early morning hours of July 5, 2025, a tragic event unfolded on Benning Road in Northeast Washington, D.C., leading to the death of Daquane 'Dream' Johnson. Johnson, a 28-year-old transgender woman, was found by officers unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds around 12:51 a.m. She was quickly transported to a local hospital, but her injuries proved fatal, and she was pronounced dead.
Family and friends remembered Johnson, affectionately known as 'Dream,' as a
person admired for her spirit and self-confidence. In the wake of her death, community members and LGBTQ+ activists called for justice, expressing their belief that the violent nature of the attack suggested it was a hate crime. Witnesses reported seeing three men approach Johnson, shout a slur, and then one of them opened fire, shooting her repeatedly.
The investigation into Johnson's murder led authorities to 38-year-old Edgar Arrington of Washington, D.C. Court documents revealed that Arrington, who was a stranger to Johnson, had allegedly harassed her for being transgender before shooting her. In early September, detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department tracked Arrington to North Carolina, where he was arrested.
Following his arrest, Edgar Arrington was charged with first-degree murder while armed, with a hate crime enhancement. A judge found probable cause to hold him without bond pending a preliminary hearing. The arrest brought a measure of relief to Johnson's family and community, who continue to mourn her loss.
