In the late hours of a Friday night in Washington, D.C., the life of 14-year-old Niko Estep Jr. was tragically cut short. On November 3, 2023, at approximately 11:37 p.m., the male teenager was riding an electric scooter with friends in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. As they passed a gas station at the corner of 14th and Fairmont Streets NW, a barrage of gunfire erupted, striking Niko and another youth. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to a fatal gunshot wound to the back.
The second victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation into the homicide quickly led authorities to a suspect, 17-year-old Lorenzo Thompson. According to court documents, surveillance footage from the gas station captured the harrowing moments of the attack. The video allegedly shows Thompson, standing near his mother, pulling out a firearm and firing approximately 12 shots in seven seconds in the direction of the teens on scooters. Police noted that the suspect's mother was present during the shooting but made no apparent effort to intervene.
In a chilling turn, the investigation revealed that days after the shooting, the suspect allegedly boasted about the killing on social media. In an Instagram Live broadcast on November 6, Thompson was quoted saying, 'Got him,' and referred to Niko by his nickname, 'Y.B.' An arrest warrant affidavit noted that the suspect showed no remorse during the broadcast and appeared to be celebrating, even re-enacting someone being shot and falling. This online confession became a key piece of evidence leading to his capture.
On November 9, 2023, police arrested Lorenzo Thompson. He was charged as an adult with second-degree murder while armed. Subsequent charges included assault with intent to kill and firearm offenses. While a motive for the targeted shooting has not been publicly disclosed, the case has proceeded through the court system, with Thompson pleading not guilty to the charges brought against him.
