Do you know who murdered Delante McCray? In the early afternoon of a winter day, the life of a young man from the Washington, D.C. area was cut short by gunfire. Delante McCray, a 20-year-old Black male, was in the 500 block of Lamont Street, NW on Monday, January 30, 2006, when he was fatally shot at approximately 12:10 p.m. Although the family had moved to a nearby Maryland suburb to escape the violence of the city, Delante had returned to his old neighborhood to visit with friends.
According to police reports at the time, a
black sport-utility vehicle had been seen following Delante and his friends before stopping at a cross street. It was then that the sound of more than a dozen gunshots shattered the quiet of the neighborhood. When emergency responders arrived at the scene, they found Delante suffering from his wounds. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, a neighbor, who was a nurse's assistant and still in her scrubs after returning from work, rushed to his side and administered CPR in a valiant attempt to keep him alive. Sadly, her efforts were in vain, and she was there for his last breath. Two other teenagers were also wounded in the incident.
In the years that have passed since Delante McCray's death, his case has remained an open and active investigation with the Metropolitan Police Department's Violent Crimes Branch. The case is now considered an unsolved homicide, one of the many from 2006 that continue to trouble the city. To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder, and no suspects have been publicly identified. Authorities have offered a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his death. The police department continues to appeal to the public for assistance, emphasizing that community involvement is crucial in bringing those responsible to justice.
