In the early morning hours of August 28, 2021, the sounds of gunfire shattered the quiet of the 1400 block of Parkwood Place in Northwest Washington, D.C. When police officers from the Fourth District arrived at the scene around 12:57 a.m., they discovered a chaotic and tragic scene. Three individuals had been shot. One of them, a 55-year-old Black male named Thomas Precious Wynder, was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Emergency medical personnel rushed Mr.
Wynder, who had no fixed address, to a nearby hospital. Despite the life-saving efforts of medical staff, his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead. The two other victims, an adult male and an adult female, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and survived the attack. The incident was quickly classified as a homicide, prompting an intensive investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch.
Originally from Cape Charles, Virginia, where he was born on October 13, 1965, Thomas Wynder had moved to the Washington, D.C. area at the age of 18. Known to some as 'Tom-Tom' or 'Precious,' he had worked for USA Today and later became a certified bricklayer with Hitts Construction Co. His death left behind a grieving family, including his mother, two daughters, and several siblings.
In the wake of the shooting, detectives began the arduous task of piecing together the events that led to Mr. Wynder's death. However, the case has proven difficult to solve. To date, no arrests have been made, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest in the shooting. The Metropolitan Police Department has offered a substantial reward of up to $25,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for this senseless act of violence. The investigation remains open as a tragic and unresolved chapter in the city's history of gun violence.
