In the winter of 2020, a young man's life was abruptly cut short in a daylight shooting in Southeast Washington, D.C. On the afternoon of December 21st, at approximately 2:32 p.m., officers responded to a report of a vehicle stopped in the intersection of 51st Street and Bass Place. Inside, they discovered 25-year-old Tyree Brox, a Black male from Suitland, Maryland, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of D.C.
Fire and Emergency Medical Services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the death of Tyree Brox, described by his family as a devoted brother, father, artist, and community leader, quickly moved forward. In a letter read in court, his mother expressed the profound loss, stating, 'My life is over since my son died.' His family remembered him as someone who was actively trying to better his community by organizing block parties, barbecues, poetry nights, and back-to-school drives.
Within days, the Metropolitan Police Department made its first arrest. On December 30, 2020, 24-year-old Rashad Winston of Southeast, D.C., was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder while armed. The investigation continued, leading to a second arrest on March 13, 2021. Keshawn Taylor, 22, also from Southeast, D.C., was arrested and faced the same charge.
Both men were ultimately sentenced for their roles in the shooting. Keshawn Taylor was sentenced to 12 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter while armed, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rashad Winston received a sentence of 72 months in prison for aggravated assault while armed, also with five years of supervised release. As part of their sentences, both were required to register as gun offenders and participate in therapeutic counseling.
