On a hot summer afternoon in Washington, D.C., on July 25, 2021, 22-year-old Jovan Hill Jr. was fatally shot in the 100 block of Q Street, NW. He and another young man, 19-year-old Tariq Riley, were both killed in the incident. A third individual was also wounded but survived. Emergency services responded to the scene around 3:58 p.m. and transported Hill and Riley to a local hospital, but their injuries proved fatal.
Both victims died from a single gunshot wound to the back.
The investigation into the double homicide led detectives to identify a suspect through video surveillance and other evidence. On December 13, 2021, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 20-year-old Jalen Browne of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Browne was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder while armed. Prosecutors argued that the motive for the shooting was retaliation for an attempted robbery of Browne's car that had occurred months earlier.
Following a trial that included testimony and the presentation of video evidence, a jury found Jalen Browne guilty on 12 counts, including two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and multiple firearm possession charges. In October 2023, Browne was sentenced to 67 and a half years in prison for the murders of Jovan Hill Jr. and Tariq Riley. During the sentencing, family members of both victims delivered emotional statements about their loss.
