In the late hours of a Monday evening in Washington, D.C., the life of 21-year-old Derico Justice Miles, a male resident of Southeast, D.C., was tragically cut short. On December 6, 2021, at approximately 11:25 p.m., police officers from the Fifth District were dispatched to the 1200 block of Mount Olivet Road, Northeast, after reports of gunshots echoed through the neighborhood near Trinidad.
Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene.
Officers found Derico Justice Miles at the location suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services were called to the scene, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead where he was found. The area of his death was noted to be close to where another shooting had occurred just days earlier, though police have not stated any connection between the two events.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch immediately began an investigation into the killing. For weeks, they sought assistance from the public, offering a substantial reward for information that could lead to the capture and conviction of those responsible for Mr. Miles's death. Their efforts came to fruition the following month. On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, authorities announced that they had made arrests in the case.
Two male teenagers, ages 16 and 17, were taken into custody. Due to their status as minors, their names were not publicly released. The two were formally charged as juveniles with first-degree murder while armed. Authorities did not provide a possible motive for the shooting, leaving a community to mourn and grapple with the violent loss of a young life.
