In the winter of 2024, a wave of violence swept through Washington, D.C., culminating in the tragic death of 35-year-old Alberto Vasquez Jr. On the evening of Monday, January 29th, Vasquez and a female companion were by their car in the 300 block of N Street, Northeast, when they were confronted by an armed man who demanded their keys. In a senseless act of violence, the assailant shot Vasquez before fleeing the scene in the stolen vehicle.
Vasquez was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries proved fatal. His family remembered him as a charismatic and outgoing father of two who loved life in the D.C. area.
The man responsible for this devastating act was later identified as 28-year-old Artell Cunningham of Suitland, Maryland. Vasquez's murder was part of a wider, chaotic crime spree that had begun earlier that evening. Around 5:45 p.m., Cunningham shot and critically injured former Trump administration official Mike Gill in the 900 block of K Street, Northwest, during an attempted carjacking. Undeterred, Cunningham then attempted another carjacking at 5th and K Street, Northeast, though he was unsuccessful.
Following the fatal encounter with Vasquez, Cunningham's rampage continued into Prince George's County, Maryland. He was involved in two additional carjackings and later fired upon a Metropolitan Police Department cruiser on I-295. The stolen vehicle taken from Vasquez was eventually discovered in a park in Prince George's County. The violent spree finally came to an end in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Law enforcement officers from the New Carrollton Police Department confronted Cunningham in the 7500 block of Annapolis Road. An interaction ensued, which led to an officer-involved shooting that resulted in Cunningham's death. Authorities have stated there is no ongoing threat to the community.
