In the early morning hours of July 13, 2023, 34-year-old Rafael Adolfo Gomez, a Hispanic male, arrived for his construction job on the Howard University campus in Washington, D.C., just as he had on many other days. Originally from Guatemala, he had come to the United States a decade earlier, hoping to build a better life and eventually a house for his parents back home.
He lived in Beltsville, Maryland, with his wife and other family members, and was known as a deeply religious man who loved playing soccer.
Tragically, on this Thursday morning at approximately 6:04 a.m., his life was cut short. As he was near a construction site for a steam plant revitalization project in the 2200 block of 6th Street, Northwest, he was fatally shot during what police believe was an attempted robbery. A Howard University Department of Public Safety officer was the first to arrive on the scene and administered aid, but despite these efforts and transportation to a local hospital, Gomez succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the death of Rafael Adolfo Gomez led to the arrest of a 14-year-old male from Northeast, D.C., on July 31, 2023. The unidentified teenager was charged with felony murder while armed. Prosecutors allege that the teen was part of a group of at least four individuals who had engaged in a two-hour crime spree before the fatal shooting, which included two carjackings and another robbery.
During a court hearing, a homicide detective testified that security footage captured two people approaching Gomez, a scuffle ensuing, and the suspects fleeing in a vehicle as Gomez fell to the ground. While a judge found sufficient evidence to suggest the teen was present at the time of the crimes, it was not enough to prove he was the shooter. The case remained under investigation, with police continuing to search for other individuals involved. The young suspect was ordered to be held with the city's Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
