In the late hours of a Tuesday evening in Fort Washington, Maryland, the life of 16-year-old Michael Bassett was tragically cut short. On May 27, 2025, at approximately 9:35 p.m., the sound of gunshots pierced the night in the 5200 block of Haras Place. When officers from the Prince George's County Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered two teenagers suffering from gunshot wounds outside an apartment building.
One of the victims, Thomas Smith Jr., also 16, was pronounced
dead at the scene. Michael Bassett, a resident of Temple Hills, was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries a short time later. A third teenager who was with them was also shot at but managed to escape unharmed. Investigators believe the shooting occurred during a suspected illegal drug transaction. The victims had arrived at the location in a vehicle that had been reported as carjacked a few days prior in Oxon Hill.
Responding officers spotted an SUV fleeing the scene and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver, however, refused to pull over, leading to a police pursuit that crossed into Washington, D.C. The chase concluded with the apprehension of the suspect, identified as 27-year-old Duan Goddard of Fort Washington. Multiple firearms were recovered from the scene of the shooting.
Following his capture, Duan Goddard was taken into custody in the District of Columbia, awaiting extradition back to Prince George's County. He has been charged with both first and second-degree murder, as well as other related charges in connection with the fatal shooting of the two teenagers.
