In the early hours of a spring morning in Washington, D.C., a life was tragically cut short. On Saturday, May 24, 2008, at approximately 1:36 a.m., Berhanu Berhanu, an Ethiopian man, was shot and killed. The fatal encounter took place in the 1900 block of 9th Street, NW, a busy area in the Shaw neighborhood. Two other individuals were also injured in the incident, suffering graze wounds that were not considered life-threatening.
Berhanu, who also went by the name Berhanu Taye, had relocated to the District of Columbia about a year before his untimely death. He was a father, leaving behind children and an ex-wife. The community, both locally and in places where he had previous ties, was shocked and saddened by the news of his violent passing. Friends and family remembered a man who was building a new chapter of his life in the nation's capital.
In the wake of the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department launched a homicide investigation. Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division were assigned to the case, canvassing the area for evidence and witnesses. A reward of up to $25,000 was offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his death. Despite these efforts and public appeals for assistance, the case has remained unsolved. To date, no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with the murder of Berhanu Berhanu. The investigation into his death continues.
