On the evening of November 21, 2019, events unfolded inside a residence in the 2300 block of Ainger Place, SE, in Washington, D.C., that would end the life of 33-year-old Brian Tyrell Butler. A male resident of Southeast, D.C., Butler was inside the home when he sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The Metropolitan Police Department's Seventh District officers responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 8:32 p.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Butler suffering from his injuries.
Emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene and quickly transported Butler to a nearby hospital in an attempt to save his life. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead. The initial investigation at the scene confirmed that the shooting had occurred inside the residence.
The police immediately began a homicide investigation, seeking assistance from the public and offering a substantial reward for any information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this violent act.
Less than a month later, on December 4, 2019, a significant development was made in the case. Members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, acting on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant, took a suspect into custody. The individual arrested was 22-year-old Diquan Lucas of Northeast, D.C. Following his arrest, Lucas was formally charged with second-degree murder while armed in connection with the shooting death of Brian Tyrell Butler. In June 2021, it was reported that Diquan Lucas had rejected a plea deal that would have allowed him to plead guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed.
