In the evening hours of Monday, January 10, 2022, the sound of gunshots shattered the night in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. Responding to the call at approximately 8:52 p.m., officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Third District arrived at the 1300 block of Columbia Road, Northwest. There, at the intersection of 13th and Irving Street NW, they discovered a man inside a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound.
The victim was identified as
33-year-old Jerrame Watts, a male of no fixed address. Emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene and quickly transported him to a local hospital. Despite the life-saving efforts of medical personnel, Jerrame Watts succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. His death marked the third homicide in the District of Columbia for that year.
Detectives from the Homicide Branch immediately began an investigation into the fatal shooting. Their efforts led to a significant development within ten days. On Thursday, January 20, 2022, police arrested 21-year-old Darnell Crawford of Northwest, D.C. Crawford was subsequently charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the death of Jerrame Watts. The Metropolitan Police Department had offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.
