Crystal Turner, aged 33, was tragically killed in a fatal shooting that occurred on October 22, 2017, in Houston, Texas. Turner, along with two friends, was inside a car in the 4500 block of Newberry when Gerald Dewayne Washington entered the vehicle and opened fire. The incident happened around 2:30 a.m. as Turner and her friends were preparing to go to an after-hours club. Washington, who was known to all three women, shot them multiple times before fleeing the scene.
Unfortunately, Turner was pronounced dead at the scene, while her two friends, aged 35 and 23, survived the attack but sustained serious injuries that continued to affect them. One of the survivors still suffers from seizures due to being shot in the head, and the other has permanent mobility issues in her arm (sources: [28], [30]).
Washington was arrested for Turner's murder but was released on bond while awaiting trial. While out on bond, he committed a second homicide in 2020, killing a man named Reginald "Duke" Larry in an unrelated shooting at a gas station. Washington was later charged with both murders and, in 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison. During the trial, prosecutors emphasized Washington's disregard for human life, highlighting the fact that he committed a second murder even while facing severe charges for the first. Washington's sentence was ultimately handed down to reflect the gravity of his actions, with the Harris County District Attorney's Office making it clear that his rampant acts of violence necessitated such consequences (sources: [29], [30]).
