In the early morning hours of Saturday, October 23, 2021, the sounds of gunshots pierced the quiet of a Southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood. When officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Sixth District arrived at the unit block of 54th Street, SE, at approximately 1:26 a.m., they discovered a grim scene. An adult female was found unconscious and unresponsive, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The victim was identified as 38-year-old Rickisha Waller-Henderson. D.C.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded but found no signs of life, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Waller-Henderson was of no fixed address, according to police reports. Her death was swiftly classified as a homicide, prompting an investigation by the city's Homicide Branch.
In the days and weeks that followed, the Metropolitan Police Department actively sought assistance from the public to gather information about the shooting. Authorities offered a reward of up to $25,000 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her death. Despite these efforts and the ongoing investigation, there have been no public announcements regarding any arrests made or suspects identified in the killing of Rickisha Waller-Henderson. Her case is listed among the unsolved homicides in the District of Columbia.
