On a cold February evening in Washington, D.C., a 16-year-old male named DeShawn Francis was fatally shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The incident occurred on February 8, 2022, on Chesapeake Street in the Southeast section of the city. Francis, a resident of Alexandria, Virginia, was with a family member at the time of the shooting.
He was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and succumbed to them three days later on February 11, 2022.
The events leading to the shooting began as a planned marijuana transaction between a family member of Francis and a young man named Eugene Williams. Francis had simply accompanied his relative for the ride. After an initial meeting at the vehicle, Williams briefly went back into an apartment building before returning with an accomplice, Anthony Green. Williams, then 17 years old, approached the passenger side of the car, armed with a firearm, and fired a single shot, striking the unarmed Francis in the head. As Williams and Green fled the scene, an exchange of gunfire occurred between them and Francis's family member.
An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department led to the identification and arrest of two suspects. Eugene Williams was charged with first-degree murder while armed. His co-defendant, Anthony Green, faced charges including first-degree murder while armed for his role in the incident. Surveillance footage played a key role in the investigation, showing Williams approaching the vehicle and then fleeing while firing his weapon.
Ultimately, both men were held accountable for their roles in DeShawn Francis's death. Eugene Williams pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter while armed and was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison. Anthony Green accepted a plea deal for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, receiving a four-year prison sentence. DeShawn, a student at Alexandria City High School with aspirations of playing college football and becoming an entrepreneur, was remembered by his family as a helpful and loving young man who enjoyed making others laugh.
