On a Sunday afternoon, September 9, 2018, 18-year-old Ta-quan Pinkney, a male, was fatally shot in the 2800 block of Stanton Road in Southeast Washington, D.C. He had just left his home to buy a soda from a nearby corner store when the incident occurred around 1:07 p.m. According to his family and friends, Pinkney was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of a 'neighborhood beef' and was shot in the back as he tried to flee the violence.
His mother was told by police that the bullet was not intended for him. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Pinkney was a recent graduate of Suitland High School in Maryland and had plans to attend the University of the District of Columbia to study HVAC technology. He was known in his community as a positive role model who volunteered with Horton's Kids, an organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth. Described as upbeat and loving, he was determined to get a job to help his mother and four siblings move to a safer neighborhood in the Maryland suburbs. In the days following his death, over 100 people gathered for a vigil to honor his memory, releasing red and black balloons, his favorite colors.
The investigation into Pinkney's murder led to the arrests of two teenagers. In October 2018, police charged 17-year-old Elijah Jarmon and a 15-year-old male with first-degree murder while armed. According to court documents, a witness stated that an altercation broke out between Pinkney's group and three other individuals. After the fight, the three individuals followed Pinkney and his friends, and a witness reported seeing Jarmon with a gun before hearing gunshots. In February 2020, Elijah Jarmon, then 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for shooting Pinkney.
