Charnice Milton, a 27-year-old African American female journalist, was tragically killed on the evening of May 27, 2015, in Washington, D.C. She was returning home from a work assignment, covering a community meeting, when she was shot around 9:40 p.m. in the 2700 block of Good Hope Road in Southeast D.C. Milton was waiting to transfer buses when gunfire erupted. It is believed that she was not the intended target and was caught in the crossfire of a dispute.
According to her parents and police, a man grabbed her and used her as a human shield during the shooting.
The perpetrators were reportedly on dirt bikes or all-terrain vehicles. One of the individuals on a dirt bike is believed to have fired the fatal shot that struck Milton in the chest. After she was shot, the man who had used her as a shield dropped her and fled the scene along with the shooter. Charnice Milton was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Her death was one of six homicides in Washington D.C. in as many days.
Following the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation and pleaded with the public for any information, noting that there were witnesses who had not come forward. Investigators released surveillance footage showing fourteen persons of interest and seven vehicles, including dirt bikes and ATVs, near the scene of the crime. A reward of up to $25,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest.
Despite the public pleas and the release of the video, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Charnice Milton, and the case remains an open homicide investigation. Her family has held vigils to honor her memory and to continue to urge witnesses to come forward. Milton was remembered by her colleagues as a dedicated and intrepid reporter for Capital Community News, who was deeply committed to covering the communities east of the Anacostia River where she also lived. She was a graduate of Ball State University and held a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
