In the early morning hours of August 21, 2016, the sounds of gunshots shattered the quiet of a Carver neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C. When police responded to the 1200 block of 18th Place NE, they discovered the body of 24-year-old Dante Miller in an alley. He had been shot multiple times in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. following the breakup of a neighborhood block party.
Loved ones described Miller, known as 'DJ,' as a family man who adored children and was striving to be the best father he could be to his baby daughter.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify 35-year-old Montez Jacob Warren of Southeast D.C. as the primary suspect. A warrant for his arrest on a charge of first-degree murder while armed was issued just days after Miller's death. Law enforcement, including the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, searched for Warren for weeks. He was described as a Black male, 5'9' tall, weighing 165 pounds, with distinctive tattoos on both sides of his neck.
On October 12, 2016, Montez Warren was apprehended and taken into custody. The motive for the killing was revealed to have stemmed from a confrontation that escalated at a cookout and fish fry that both Miller and Warren had attended on the evening of August 20. An argument erupted between Miller and a woman who was with Warren. Although Warren initially tried to intervene and break up the fight, the dispute resumed and intensified. Warren then fired several shots at Miller, continuing to shoot even as Miller attempted to flee. As Miller fell to the ground, Warren stood over him and fired several more times before leaving in a car. An autopsy later revealed that Miller had sustained eight gunshot wounds.
On February 5, 2018, Montez Warren pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder while armed. The plea agreement recommended a prison sentence of 15 to 22 years for his role in the death of Dante Miller.
