In the late hours of a summer night in Washington, D.C., the life of 28-year-old Ryan Matthew Addison was tragically cut short in a case of mistaken identity. On Tuesday, August 11, 2015, at approximately 12:22 AM, Addison was walking in the 200 block of Elmira Street, SW when he was fatally shot. He was discovered with gunshot wounds and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Addison, who worked as a security guard and was preparing for an interview for a clerical position with the federal government, had no criminal record and was planning his wedding.
The investigation into Addison's death continued for several years. In February 2019, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a suspect, Joshua Artis. Authorities charged Artis with first-degree murder while armed. Court documents revealed that Artis, a suspected member of the Imperial Gangsta Bloods from Virginia, allegedly shot Addison in a misguided act of revenge. It is believed that a leader of the gang had authorized Artis to retaliate for the killing of a friend, Rodney Davis, which had occurred earlier the same day.
Further details from the investigation indicated that Addison was not involved in the death of Davis. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, targeted because he was on the same block where the actual killer was thought to reside. Artis was also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice. The regional leader of the Imperial Gangsta Bloods, Travell Vandiver, was also implicated for allegedly giving Artis permission to carry out the shooting.
