On a Saturday in late March of 2021, a violent encounter in Southeast Washington, D.C., tragically cut short the life of 34-year-old Evan Wood of Oxon Hill, Maryland. The incident, which would later be ruled a homicide, began inside an apartment building in the 4200 block of 6th Street, Southeast, on March 27th.
Inside the building, Wood and a friend were suddenly confronted by a man armed with a gun.
What ensued was a physical struggle that spilled out of the apartment building and into a nearby courtyard. At some point during the altercation, Wood managed to break free and began to run from the scene. As he fled, the gunman, identified as 24-year-old John Philogene of Washington, D.C., chambered a round in his handgun and fired, striking Wood in the back of the leg. Despite his injury, Wood continued to run for a couple of blocks before collapsing in a yard on Forrester Street, Southeast, where he succumbed to his wound.
The following day, on Sunday, March 28, 2021, at approximately 1:33 p.m., police responded to a report of a shooting in the 600 block of Forrester Street, Southeast. Upon arrival, they discovered Wood, who was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch quickly identified the location of the initial altercation.
The investigation led to the arrest of John Philogene on April 27, 2021. Philogene later pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. Following his plea, he was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in the death of Evan Wood. After the shooting, it was reported that Philogene and another individual had warned Wood's friend against speaking about the incident.
