In the late afternoon of May 3, 2018, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of the 3700 block of 1st Street in Southeast Washington, D.C. Inside a rideshare vehicle, 25-year-old Sukarno Turner, a Black male, and his companion, 23-year-old Mecca India Tyshea Gravette, were struck by bullets. The attack was a drive-by shooting; a suspect in a white 4-door Hyundai Accent opened fire on their car before speeding away.
When police arrived at approximately 5:03 p.m., Gravette was pronounced dead at the scene, while Turner was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly revealed a complex web of gang conflict and police corruption. Sukarno Turner was identified as a member of a street crew associated with Wahler Place, which was embroiled in a feud with a rival gang from the nearby Trenton Park area. Investigators found that Turner's name had recently surfaced in a significant indictment related to a conspiracy and obstruction of justice case. He was described in court documents as a 'close associate' of Derek B. 'Fats' Turner, who had been charged in a 2017 killing.
The corruption case centered on Ronnika Jennings, a civilian clerk for the Metropolitan Police Department's Seventh District. Jennings was indicted and charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, accused of using her access to confidential police databases to leak sensitive information to members of the Wahler Place gang, including details related to the murder case against Derek Turner. While Sukarno Turner was not charged in the corruption case, his mention in the indictment highlighted his connection to the ongoing gang conflict.
Following the murders, the MPD released surveillance footage of the suspect's white Hyundai Accent fleeing the scene and described the shooter as a Black male wearing a white t-shirt. While Ronnika Jennings and Derek B. Turner were arrested in connection with the conspiracy and obstruction case, the specific individuals responsible for the fatal shooting of Sukarno Turner and Mecca Gravette remained sought by police. The Metropolitan Police Department offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the double homicide, an investigation that remains active.
