Do you know who killed Shamar Marbury in 2019? In the quiet residential neighborhood of Washington Highlands, the first day of 2019 was marked by tragedy. On the evening of January 1st, 19-year-old Shamar Marbury was found inside an apartment building on the 4200 block of Barnaby Road, Southeast. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services rushed the young man to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead approximately 45 minutes after the shooting, which occurred around 8:40 p.m.
Marbury, from Northeast D.C., became the city's first homicide victim of the new year.
Metropolitan Police Department officers had responded to reports of a shooting and discovered Marbury unconscious on a second-floor stairwell of the Belmont Crossing apartments. Despite their efforts and those of medical personnel, his life could not be saved. In the wake of the violence, the community mourned the loss of a young life just beginning. Makeshift memorials with candles and personal tributes soon appeared near the scene, a testament to the impact his death had on those who knew him. The investigation into his murder was launched immediately, but details regarding a motive or potential suspects were not publicly disclosed.
To date, no arrests have been made in connection with Shamar Marbury's death, and his case remains unsolved. The Metropolitan Police Department has offered a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his murder. The case took a further tragic turn when, according to court documents, several of Marbury's close friends were implicated in a subsequent homicide. It is believed that the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Michael J. Taylor on January 12, 2019, may have been an act of retaliation for Marbury's killing. Marbury's friends, Alonzo Brown and Stephon Evans, were pallbearers at his funeral on January 11th and were later charged in Taylor's death. A relative of Marbury had even informed police that his friends might be plotting revenge.
