On a summer evening in Washington, D.C., 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson, an African American girl, was fatally shot on July 16, 2018. She was near an ice cream truck in the courtyard of her apartment complex in the Clay Terrace neighborhood of Northeast D.C. when multiple masked individuals emerged from a car and opened fire indiscriminately into the crowd.
Over 50 shots were fired, killing Makiyah and injuring several others, including her older sister.
The investigation into Makiyah's death led to the identification of several suspects associated with the 'Wellington Park crew,' a local gang. Authorities determined the shooting was the result of a feud with individuals from the Clay Terrace neighborhood. The suspects had used a carjacked black Infiniti in the attack. A significant breakthrough in the case came when an individual arrested for the carjacking provided information that led to the identification of the gang members involved.
In the months and years that followed, numerous arrests were made. Ultimately, several members of the Wellington Park crew were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and other offenses related to the shooting. Trials resulted in the convictions of multiple individuals. Some were identified as the shooters, while others were convicted for their roles in planning the attack and providing the weapons. The sentences for those convicted ranged from several years to decades in prison, with some receiving sentences of more than 60 years. The final suspects in the case were found guilty in September 2024, bringing a long-awaited sense of closure to Makiyah's family and the community.
