In the early afternoon of March 6, 2016, 39-year-old Ivy Tonett Smith, an African-American woman, was waiting at a bus stop in the 2800 block of Alabama Avenue SE in Washington, D.C. Tragically, she was an innocent bystander caught in a violent act. Gunfire erupted from a passing minivan, and Smith was struck by multiple bullets. Emergency services rushed her to a local hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.
The incident also left two other individuals with injuries; one with gunshot wounds and another with minor injuries from shattered glass. Both of these victims were reported to be in stable condition.
The investigation into the drive-by shooting revealed that the vehicle involved, a four-door Honda Odyssey minivan with Maryland handicap tags, had been stolen from a church in Prince George's County, Maryland, about 36 hours prior to the shooting. The minivan was discovered abandoned just a few blocks from the scene of the crime. Authorities believed that the shooting was not a random act of violence, but it was unclear who the intended targets were.
In the course of their investigation, police identified a suspect named Xavier Hamilton. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged role in the death of Ivy Tonett Smith. In a later court proceeding, Hamilton entered into a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed. As a result of his guilty plea, Xavier Hamilton was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised probation for his involvement in the shooting that tragically ended the life of an innocent woman.
