On a Saturday afternoon in April 2021, 37-year-old Julius Hayes was shot and killed in Northeast Washington, D.C. The incident occurred around 3:58 p.m. in the 300 block of 18th Street Northeast, where responding officers found Hayes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death of the male victim led to the arrest of Darrell Moore, then 43 years old, on May 11, 2021.
Prosecutors argued that the motive for the killing stemmed from rumors Hayes had allegedly spread, suggesting that Moore was involved in a same-sex relationship. Angered by these rumors, Moore sought out Hayes on the Saturday before Easter.
According to court proceedings, Moore drove a black Ford Fusion to Hayes's neighborhood, where he confronted the unarmed 37-year-old. An argument ensued, and as Hayes attempted to walk away, Moore pursued him, pulled out a handgun, and shot him multiple times in the street. Audio from nearby home security cameras captured Hayes screaming, 'No, no,' as he was shot five times. After the initial attack, Moore briefly returned to his vehicle before going back to Hayes to continue the assault. He then fled the scene.
In March 2025, a jury found Darrell Moore guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and related gun charges. At the time of Hayes's murder, Moore had been out of prison for only eight months. He had been previously convicted of a 1994 murder and was released early under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act. In May 2025, Moore was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder of Julius Hayes.
