In the early morning hours of March 3, 2024, a tragic event unfolded in an apartment building in Takoma Park, Maryland, leading to the death of 40-year-old Derek Coleman. Responding to a report of a shooting at approximately 7:15 a.m. in the 6700 block of New Hampshire Avenue, police officers discovered Mr. Coleman in a stairwell, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the death of the male victim, identified as an African American, quickly launched into motion as detectives from the Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit began to piece together the events of that morning. Through their investigative work, they identified a suspect in the fatal shooting. This individual was later named as 22-year-old Wilmer Echenique-Navarro of Capitol Heights. While Derek Coleman was of no fixed address, the incident that claimed his life occurred in the unincorporated section of Takoma Park.
On April 15, 2024, a little over a month after the incident, members of the PGPD's Fugitive Unit located and apprehended Wilmer Echenique-Navarro. Following his arrest, Echenique-Navarro admitted to his involvement in the shooting. He has since been charged with first and second-degree murder and is currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections. While an arrest has been made and a confession secured, the motive behind the shooting remains under investigation as authorities continue to seek information from the public regarding the case.
