On a late spring evening, the life of 15-year-old Isaiah Daniel Harris was tragically cut short. The male teenager was walking home with a friend on Memorial Day, May 30, 2011, in the 1400 block of New Jersey Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. It was around 10:15 p.m. when, without warning, gunfire erupted, striking both boys. Harris suffered a single, fatal gunshot wound, while his companion was wounded in the leg.
The two teenagers had no connection to their assailant and were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The investigation into the senseless shooting led police to Eugene Antoine Kelly. Prosecutors later revealed that earlier that evening, Kelly had been riding a small trick bike and spoke to a neighborhood acquaintance about the 2008 murder of his brother. Kelly believed someone from the nearby 5th and O Streets neighborhood was responsible and declared that someone was going to pay for his brother's death. He then retrieved a gun from a nearby dumpster and rode towards New Jersey Avenue. Moments later, he opened fire on the two unsuspecting teens who were coming from the direction of 5th and O Streets NW. Harris and his friend had no knowledge of or involvement in the murder of Kelly's brother.
Two days after the shooting, a search of Kelly's home uncovered a small trick bike matching witness descriptions and ammunition consistent with that used in the murder. Further evidence emerged on September 14, 2011, when a guard at the D.C. jail discovered a note written by Kelly. The note, which included his jail identification number, contained the name and address of a witness and their family members. A handwriting expert from the FBI confirmed that Kelly had written the note.
In April 2013, a jury found Eugene A. Kelly guilty of first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related charges. He was subsequently sentenced to 67 years in prison for the murder of Isaiah Harris and the wounding of his friend. The conviction brought a measure of justice to a case that highlighted the devastating and random nature of street violence.
