On the evening of the Fourth of July in 2020, 11-year-old Davon Thomas McNeal, a male, was attending a community peace cookout organized by his mother in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. As the event was winding down around 9:20 p.m., Davon was walking from a car toward a relative's apartment on Cedar Street SE to get a phone charger. At that moment, a group of men began shooting in the street. Davon was struck in the head by a stray bullet. He was rushed to a hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries. Authorities later confirmed that the young boy, a promising youth football player, was not the intended target of the gunfire. The shooting was believed to be the result of a dispute between groups of men.
In the days and weeks that followed, the Metropolitan Police Department launched an intensive investigation. The community, deeply shaken by the senseless loss of a child, rallied to support Davon's family.
The investigation led to the identification of four suspects. The first arrest was made on July 9, 2020, when police apprehended 18-year-old Daryle Bond. Shortly after, 22-year-old Christian Wingfield was taken into custody. The search continued for the remaining two suspects, 19-year-old Carlo General and 25-year-old Marcel Gordon, who were considered armed and dangerous. By September of that year, all four men were in custody.
The four suspects, Daryle Bond, Carlo General, Marcel Gordon, and Christian Wingfield, were initially charged with first-degree murder. According to court documents and surveillance footage, the men were seen congregating at a barbecue before running with guns drawn. General was identified as the individual who fired the shot that fatally struck Davon. The other men were also seen firing their weapons. In February 2022, all four men pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. By August 2022, all had been sentenced for their roles in the shooting. Carlo General received a sentence of 16 years in prison. Marcel Gordon was sentenced to 10 years, Christian Wingfield to nine and a half years, and Daryle Bond received an eight-year prison term.
