On a cold Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., the life of 20-year-old Ibrahim Sesay was tragically cut short. It was January 6, 2021, and the young man, a student at Delaware State University, was home from college visiting with friends. The group found themselves in a minimart in the 1300 block of 9th Street, Northwest, a decision that would have fatal consequences.
Around 11:34 p.m., the routine of the evening was shattered by an attempted armed robbery inside the store.
In the ensuing chaos, shots were fired. Ibrahim was struck multiple times as one of the assailants, Sean Howard, fired his weapon while fleeing. As Ibrahim lay on the ground, the second assailant, Shaquille Bynum, also fired his gun, hitting Ibrahim in the face. Though he was rushed to a nearby hospital, his wounds proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the senseless killing led homicide detectives to two 18-year-olds, Sean Howard, III, of Northeast, D.C., and Shaquille Bynum of Northwest, D.C. Both were arrested in early March 2021 and charged with first-degree murder while armed. In February 2022, Howard and Bynum accepted plea deals, pleading guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. Both were subsequently sentenced to 144 months, or 12 years, in prison for their roles in the death of Ibrahim Sesay. During the sentencing, the profound and irreparable harm to Ibrahim's family and friends was acknowledged, with his father poignantly stating, 'He is the only son who carried my name.' His sister, in her impact statement, directly addressed the defendants, calling their actions cowardly for shooting a man who was already down.
