Do you know who murdered Maurice Scott in 2019? On a bright Sunday morning, May 26, 2019, the life of 15-year-old Maurice Scott was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire in his Southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood. An honor roll student and a standout junior varsity basketball player at Somerset Prep D.C. public charter school, Maurice was known for his infectious smile and kind-hearted nature.
He had just left his home to walk to a nearby convenience store on Wheeler Road to buy eggs for his family's breakfast.
At approximately 10:35 a.m., as Maurice neared the store, a gunman emerged from a car and opened fire with what police described as a long gun. The brazen attack, which unfolded just a block from his school, sent shockwaves through the community. When police, responding to the sound of gunshots, arrived at the scene, they found Maurice suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
In the same incident, two women and a nine-year-old girl, who were relatives of Maurice, also sustained gunshot wounds. Fortunately, their injuries were non-life-threatening. Investigators believe that Maurice was not the intended target of the shooting. Despite recovering surveillance video and identifying a light-colored, four-door sedan seen fleeing the scene, the gunman has not been identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the homicide.
The community mourned the senseless loss of a promising young man. Friends and family remembered Maurice as a leader on the basketball court and a beloved student with a great sense of humor. In the wake of his death, community members, students, and teachers marched to demand an end to gun violence. A mural of Maurice's smiling face was painted on the side of the convenience store where his life was taken, a permanent reminder of the bright future that was stolen. His case remains one of the many unsolved homicides in the District of Columbia.
