On a summer evening in Washington, D.C., a dispute during a street corner dice game turned deadly, claiming the life of 45-year-old Melton Grant. The incident unfolded on June 22, 2019, in the 600 block of Morton Street, Northwest. An argument erupted between Grant and another man, Keith Toney, escalating to the point where Grant punched Toney. In response, Toney produced a firearm and shot Grant multiple times before fleeing the scene.
Metropolitan Police Department officers responded
to reports of the shooting at approximately 9:51 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Grant unconscious and not breathing, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital, where all life-saving efforts were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead. In the course of their investigation, police found a second adult male victim in the 3400 block of Georgia Avenue, Northwest, who was conscious and breathing despite having sustained a gunshot wound. This individual was transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
In the days that followed, detectives identified 41-year-old Keith Toney as the suspect in Grant's death. He was described as a Black male, and police released his photograph to the public, seeking information on his whereabouts. On July 9, 2019, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Toney based on a D.C. Superior Court arrest warrant. He was subsequently charged with First Degree Murder while Armed.
The legal proceedings against Keith Toney culminated on January 23, 2023, when he accepted a plea agreement. Toney pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and one count of possession of a firearm. The plea deal came with a recommended prison sentence of six years, which was accepted by a D.C. Superior Court Judge. Toney's sentencing was scheduled for April of that year.
