In the early hours of Thursday, April 9, 2026, the quiet of the Friendship Heights neighborhood in Northwest D.C. was shattered by the sound of gunfire. When officers from the Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the 5200 block of 44th Street NW around 1:01 a.m., they discovered a grim scene. Two men were found unconscious, both suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite the immediate response and life-saving efforts by DC Fire and EMS, both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The deceased were identified as 42-year-old Robert Stokes of Middle River, Maryland, and 44-year-old Terrell Cross of Bethesda, Maryland. The investigation that followed quickly pointed to a tragic murder-suicide. Detectives believe that Cross approached Stokes at the location, shot him, and then turned the weapon on himself. A firearm was recovered at the scene by investigators. The motive for this violent act appears to be rooted in a domestic dispute. Sources indicated the two men had an ongoing disagreement over a woman, and it is believed that Cross was waiting for Stokes to leave work. Stokes's wife, Crystal, later confirmed that the shooting stemmed from a personal dispute between her husband and his coworker.
Both Robert Stokes and Terrell Cross were employees of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Stokes had been a bus driver for the agency for about a decade. The incident occurred near the WMATA Western Bus Division depot as Stokes was leaving his job. In the wake of the tragedy, Metro's CEO and General Manager, Randy Clarke, called for a moment of silence to honor the two lost workers, stating, "Our staff is the soul of this organization." The union representing the workers, Local 689, also expressed their sorrow, saying, "Our prayers are with the members' loved ones and families."
Robert Stokes was a loving husband to his wife of nearly eight years, Crystal Stokes, and a father to four children. His wife described him as a quiet man who could also be silly and talkative with those he knew. She recounted the devastating moment she learned of her husband's murder, first through a confusing call offering condolences, and then by the arrival of police officers at her door. The family of Robert Stokes, who was the son of former Baltimore City Councilman Robert Stokes Sr., now faces the difficult task of moving forward after this sudden and violent loss.
