In the late afternoon of March 19, 2018, a promising life was cut short on the 3500 block of Stanton Road in Southeast Washington, D.C. Aujee Tyler, a 22-year-old male known for his incredible speed and skill in the boxing ring, was shot multiple times. Though he was rushed to a local hospital and was reportedly conscious upon arrival, he succumbed to his injuries later that day.
Tyler, nicknamed 'Quick' for his prowess as a two-time National Silver Gloves champion, was not only an accomplished amateur boxer with professional aspirations but also a mentor to young boys in his neighborhood. He was a husband and a father to three children.
The investigation into Tyler's death led authorities to a suspect with a close and personal connection to the victim. The primary suspect was identified as Kaevon Sutton, who was just 16 years old at the time of the shooting. Sutton, also known as 'Baby Ahk,' was one of the youths Tyler had taken under his wing, often ensuring he had food and a place to stay. An arrest warrant for first-degree murder was issued for Sutton, who had been reported as a 'critical missing' person weeks before the shooting. After the incident, Sutton fled Washington, D.C., first to North Carolina under his father's instruction, and was later located and apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Ohio in June 2018.
Kaevon Sutton was charged as an adult with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. During his trial, Sutton's defense claimed that he acted in self-defense. Sutton alleged that on the day of the shooting, he saw an L-shaped bulge in Tyler's pants which he believed to be a gun, and claimed that Tyler had threatened to kill him. A witness during the trial testified to the close, mentor-mentee relationship between the two. In a turn of events, on March 23, 2023, a jury acquitted Sutton of the most serious charges, first-degree murder and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. He was, however, found guilty of carrying a pistol without a license.
