Do you know who murdered Andre Belton? On a warm Memorial Day evening, the sounds of a vibrant neighborhood enjoying the holiday were shattered by gunfire. It was May 30, 2005, in the Sursum Corda housing complex in Northwest Washington, D.C., a community that had been striving to overcome a history of violence. Seventeen-year-old Andre Belton, a male student from Temple Hills, was visiting relatives in the area, spending time with friends near an ice cream truck that had drawn a crowd of residents. He was a senior at Oxon Hill High School and was described by those who knew him as a quiet young man who was not involved in trouble.
At approximately 8:50 p.m., a van reportedly pulled up to the corner where Andre and a group of other teenagers were standing. According to a witness, a man dressed in black emerged from the vehicle's sliding door and opened fire on the group. The sudden eruption of violence sent children screaming and parents scrambling to get their children to safety.
In the chaos, both Andre and a 15-year-old friend were struck by bullets. The two youths ran a short distance before collapsing from their injuries.
Both victims were rushed to Howard University Hospital, but Andre Belton succumbed to his wounds shortly after arriving. The 15-year-old who was with him was treated for his injuries and subsequently released. In the aftermath of the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation, exploring various potential motives for the attack. One theory they considered was a possible connection to a dispute that may have occurred at a go-go club in Northeast Washington. However, some neighbors indicated that neither Andre nor the other victim had been to the clubs on the nights in question. Another possibility investigators looked into was that the shooting could have been drug-related.
Police officials announced that they were searching for two suspects who had been in the van from which the shots were fired. The authorities hoped that the surviving victim would be able to provide information that could lead to the identification of those responsible. However, it was reported at the time that the young man was not cooperating with the investigation. The case remains an unsolved homicide, and the Metropolitan Police Department has continued to seek the public's assistance in gathering information regarding the incident that cut Andre Belton's life short. A reward was offered for any information that would lead to an arrest and conviction in the case.
