In the afternoon hours of a Monday in Southeast Washington, D.C., the usual sounds of school dismissal were abruptly shattered by gunfire. On November 20, 2023, at approximately 3:09 p.m., 35-year-old Rodney Snead of District Heights, Maryland, was shot in the 4200 block of 4th Street, Southeast. The incident unfolded near Hendley Elementary School, prompting staff to quickly rush students who were in the process of leaving back inside the building and initiate a lockdown to ensure their
safety.
When officers from the Seventh District of the Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered Mr. Snead suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the immediate response from emergency personnel, he was pronounced dead at the location. The Homicide Branch of the MPD immediately began an investigation into the fatal shooting, appealing to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible. In the initial stages of the investigation, police indicated they were searching for a dark-colored SUV that was seen in the vicinity.
After weeks of investigation, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, acting on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant, apprehended a suspect. On January 5, 2024, authorities arrested 22-year-old Cory Heard, who has no fixed address. Heard was subsequently charged with Second Degree Murder while Armed in connection with the shooting death of Rodney Snead. He was then transported to the Homicide Branch for processing. Later, it was reported that Heard rejected a plea deal that would have required him to plead guilty to the charge of second-degree murder while armed in exchange for a prison sentence of 18 to 22 years. His case is now expected to proceed to trial.
