In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 29, 2022, the sounds of gunshots shattered the pre-dawn quiet in the 900 block of 9th Street, Northwest in Washington, D.C. Responding to the reports, members of the Second District arrived at the scene at approximately 2:31 a.m. to find a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
The victim, identified as 46-year-old Charlie Miller, was a male of no fixed address.
Emergency medical personnel from DC FEMS transported him to a local hospital for treatment. Despite all life-saving efforts, Charlie Miller was pronounced dead. The shooting occurred near an encampment for people experiencing homelessness in the Mount Vernon Square area.
An investigation into the homicide led detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch to a suspect. On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, just days after the fatal shooting, an arrest was made in connection with the case.
Fifty-five-year-old Howard Fritts, who also had no fixed address, was arrested and subsequently charged with Second Degree Murder while Armed for his alleged role in Charlie Miller's death. Court documents identify him as Howard W. Fritts, and he is also known as Howard W. Fritts, Jr. According to a sworn statement filed in court, Fritts denied possessing or ever firing a gun.
