In the early afternoon of a Wednesday in Southeast Washington, the life of 19-year-old Alvin Barnes was tragically cut short. On October 23, 2019, at approximately 12:12 p.m., police responded to reports of a shooting in the 2200 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Upon arrival, they discovered the young male suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency medical services transported him to a local hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the death
of Alvin Barnes, a resident of Southeast, D.C., quickly developed. It was revealed that prior to the shooting, Barnes had been involved in a physical altercation with another individual. Following the dispute, the other person drove away from the scene, only to fire a weapon from the vehicle, striking Barnes in the back of the head.
The individual responsible for the fatal shooting was identified as 20-year-old Keith Jenkins. In a significant development in the case, Jenkins turned himself in to the authorities with great speed. He subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the killing of Alvin Barnes.
During sentencing, the court considered various factors, including Jenkins's cooperation and his lack of a prior criminal history. However, the serious nature of the crime, compounded by a pending robbery charge in another county, influenced the final decision. The judge sentenced Keith Jenkins to 11 years in prison for his role in the death of Alvin Barnes. In addition to his prison term, Jenkins will be subject to five years of supervised release and is required to register as a gun offender upon his release.
