In the Bellevue neighborhood of Washington, D.C., on the evening of November 20, 2023, a violent encounter cut short the life of 29-year-old Gary Lavon Love III. At approximately 9:30 p.m., in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street SW, the sound of twelve gunshots pierced the night, prompting a police response. Officers arrived to find Love on the sidewalk, suffering from a critical gunshot wound.
He was rushed to a local hospital, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead the following day.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a sequence of events that unfolded minutes before the fatal shots were fired. Love and another man, later identified as 21-year-old Roy Jordan, were inside a convenience store in the same block. According to a court affidavit, the two men did not appear to interact inside the establishment. Shortly after Love exited the store, Jordan followed and began shooting at him. Love reportedly returned fire before being struck by Jordan's gunfire and falling to the ground. Initially, police believed a second man found in nearby Prince George's County had also been shot, but later determined he had been injured while fleeing the scene.
In the days following the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department identified a suspect. On December 1, 2023, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Roy Jordan of Southeast, D.C. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder while armed. Later, another man, 33-year-old Donell Thomas, was charged with being an accessory after the fact for his alleged role in helping Jordan evade capture. In September 2024, Roy Jordan pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and other firearm-related offenses. He also rejected a plea deal that would have required him to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter.
