Barron Goodwin, a 60-year-old male, had recently moved into his in-laws' home in Southeast Washington, D.C., in November 2019, following the death of his partner. Suffering from dementia, he would often sit on a black leather couch situated under the front window of the rowhouse. On the morning of Wednesday, February 12, 2020, at approximately 11:05 a.m., a bullet fired from outside the residence on the 800 block of 51st Street SE penetrated the window frame and a curtain, striking Goodwin in
the back of the head. His brother-in-law discovered him on the floor after rushing downstairs. Emergency services transported him to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries over four hours later, becoming the city's 19th homicide victim of the year. Another bullet pierced the front door, striking a staircase, while two more hit vehicles parked outside.
The investigation into the daylight shooting in the Benning Park neighborhood was extensive. Initially, police had no description of a gunman and appealed to the public for assistance, particularly from anyone with surveillance footage. Relatives believed from the outset that a stray bullet was responsible for Goodwin's death. More than two years later, on September 28, 2022, the Metropolitan Police Department's Fugitive Unit charged a 23-year-old man, Ky'lee Palmer, with first-degree murder while armed. Subsequently, on September 7, 2023, a second suspect, 20-year-old Aaron Adgerson, was also arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed.
Prosecutors alleged that the shooting was a drive-by incident carried out in a stolen black Nissan Altima. The motive was reportedly connected to a dispute over a stolen cellphone that Palmer had allegedly taken from his then-girlfriend, who was Goodwin's niece. The case against the two men proceeded to trial. In a September 2024 verdict, Ky'lee Palmer was found guilty of murdering Barron Goodwin. His co-defendant, Aaron Adgerson, was acquitted of the charges. Palmer was scheduled for sentencing in December of that year.
