In the early morning hours of Mother's Day, May 8, 2016, the life of 34-year-old Don LaVae Williams, Jr. was tragically cut short in Southeast Washington, D.C. At approximately 1:47 a.m., police responded to the sound of gunfire in the 2900 block of Nelson Place SE. Upon arrival, they discovered Williams suffering from gunshot wounds. He was quickly transported to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead.
From Waldorf, Maryland, Williams became
another victim of gun violence in the city. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, which occurred near the intersection of Nelson Place and Fairlawn Avenue SE, law enforcement had no suspects and appealed to the public for information. The investigation into the homicide continued for nearly two years without a publicly named person of interest, leaving a void in the search for justice for Williams and his family.
A significant development in the case finally came on March 6, 2018, when the Metropolitan Police Department announced an arrest. Andrew McKinney, a 35-year-old man from Landover, Maryland, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the fatal shooting of Don LaVae Williams, Jr. The arrest marked a long-awaited breakthrough in the investigation, bringing a measure of hope for accountability in the nearly two-year-old case.
