On a tragic spring evening, the life of 18-year-old Kendall Batson of District Heights, Maryland, was cut short. On May 11, 2023, Batson, a senior at Wise High School, was fatally shot in the parking lot of North Forestville Elementary School. The incident, which unfolded at approximately 6:35 p.m. on Ritchie Road, stemmed from a carjacking.
Authorities responded to the scene to find Batson suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival. The shooting sent shockwaves through the community, marking the third tragic death of a Wise High School student in a span of just three months. For Kendall Batson, it was a particularly poignant loss, as the following day would have been his last day of high school before graduation.
The investigation into Batson's death led to the arrests of two teenagers the following month. Lavelle Harris, 18, of Washington D.C., and an unnamed 17-year-old from District Heights were taken into custody. Harris faced charges of first- and second-degree murder, as well as armed carjacking and other related offenses. The 17-year-old was charged with conspiracy to commit first- and second-degree murder and armed carjacking. Both were held without bond.
According to charging documents, the events leading to the fatal shooting began when a group of friends, including the two suspects, gathered at the elementary school. Batson was with another group that arrived in a Honda. One of the suspects, armed with a rifle, demanded the keys to the Honda, and the occupants were forced out of the vehicle. When the suspects then attempted to take Batson's BMW, he resisted, reportedly saying, 'You're not going to take my keys.' A struggle ensued, and as Batson tried to get back into his car, one of the suspects followed him and fatally shot him before they both fled the scene in the stolen Honda and Batson's BMW. The abandoned vehicles were recovered by police the next day in Capitol Heights. Police have stated that Batson and the teens charged in his death did not know each other.
