On a spring evening over Memorial Day weekend in 2018, a dispute that began over a child riding a bicycle in a parking lot escalated into a tragedy that claimed the lives of 35-year-old Venius Badgett and her husband, Jaquon Helm, in Washington, D.C. The couple, who shared five children, were fatally shot on Saturday, May 26, on Galveston Street in the Southwest quadrant of the city.
Badgett, a school bus attendant for Prince George's County schools, and Helm, a contractor and youth football coach, were remembered as dedicated parents and community members.
The events of that fatal night began to unfold when Badgett expressed concern for a young boy riding his bike in a dark parking lot, fearing he might get hit by a car. After she spoke to the child, he informed his mother, who then engaged in a physical altercation with Badgett. Helm intervened to break up the fight. As the couple was walking away, the boy called his father, Alonzo Lewis, to the scene. Lewis arrived and opened fire, shooting both Badgett and Helm in front of several children who were playing outside. When police responded to reports of the shooting at approximately 10:10 p.m., they found Helm deceased at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Badgett was transported to a local hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
In the days following the shooting, the Metropolitan Police Department identified 33-year-old Alonzo Lewis as the suspect. He was arrested on May 31, 2018, and charged with first-degree murder while armed. A crucial piece of evidence in the case was the testimony of an 11-year-old eyewitness who saw Lewis shoot Badgett and Helm. This testimony was corroborated by other evidence, including surveillance footage.
In October 2023, Alonzo Lewis pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder while armed. Subsequently, he was sentenced to a 30-year prison term for the killings. Following his incarceration, Lewis will be on supervised release for five years. The case highlighted the devastating impact of gun violence on a family and a community, leaving five children without their parents.
