Do you know who murdered Janice Short? On a late Saturday afternoon, just a day before she would have celebrated her 37th birthday, Janice Short's life was tragically cut short by gunfire in Washington, D.C. The stay-at-home mother of three was visiting her own mother on September 18, 2004, in the 300 block of Seaton Street NE to plan her birthday dinner. At approximately 4:40 p.m., while chatting with two men she knew from the neighborhood in front of a vacant apartment building, shots rang out.
Janice, a woman described by
friends and family as kind, fun-loving, and a wonderful mother, was fatally wounded. The two men she was with were also shot and injured, leading police to believe they may have been the intended targets. The sudden violence left her three daughters, aged 19, 13, and 8, without their mother, a woman who doted on them with birthday parties, trips to amusement parks, and unwavering love. Friends remembered her as someone who was always willing to give her last to anyone in need and who had a fondness for 'oldies but goodies' music.
In the days following the shooting, a candlelight vigil was held on what would have been her birthday. Dozens of friends, family, and community members gathered to mourn the boisterous and loving woman, leaving balloons and stuffed animals at the spot where she fell. Despite the outpouring of grief and pleas for an end to violence, Janice Short's murder remains unsolved. The Metropolitan Police Department has continued to seek the public's assistance in gathering information regarding the incident, but no arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified in connection with her death. Her case is one of the many unsolved homicides in the District, a painful reminder of a life taken too soon and a family left without answers.
