On the evening of October 24, 2018, Roger Tom Marmet, a 22-year-old male, was driving home in his Jeep Liberty after a day of volunteering. A recent graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in social work, Marmet was dedicating his time to So Others Might Eat a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., where he assisted individuals recovering from substance abuse to re-enter the workforce. As he was stopped at a traffic light around 6 p.m.
in the 1200 block of 17th Street, NE, the trajectory of his life was irrevocably altered by a burst of gunfire.
A stray bullet pierced his vehicle and struck him. First responders, alerted by a gunfire detection system, found Marmet unconscious. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Investigations later revealed that Marmet was not the intended target of the shooting. The gunman had been firing at another individual across the busy intersection, and Marmet was an innocent victim caught in the crossfire while simply on his way home.
The Metropolitan Police Department launched an investigation into the senseless killing. Two months later, on December 28, 2018, authorities announced the arrest of a suspect, 22-year-old Barry Marable of Northeast D.C. Marable was subsequently charged with first-degree murder while armed. According to the investigation, Marable saw a man at a gas station whom he believed had assaulted him a week prior and fired four shots in his direction. One of those bullets tragically found its way to Marmet, ending the life of a young man committed to helping others.
In November 2021, Barry Marable pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. The case drew attention to the issue of random gun violence in the city, leaving a family and a community to mourn a promising life cut short. In September 2022, Marable was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the death of Roger Tom Marmet. Following his prison term, he will be subject to five years of supervised release.
