In the early morning hours of a violent summer weekend in Washington, D.C., a dispute during a street dice game turned deadly, claiming the life of 24-year-old Antonio Dean, a male resident of Southeast D.C. On August 22, 2015, at approximately 2:51 a.m., police responded to the 1300 block of Stevens Road SE in the Barry Farm neighborhood after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Dean suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident marked another homicide in a year that saw a significant increase in killings in the District.
The investigation into Dean's death quickly centered on an argument that had erupted during the dice game. According to a witness, a verbal altercation between Dean and another man escalated dramatically. The witness reported seeing the man pull out a handgun, point it at Dean, and then heard a volley of numerous shots. The shooter was then seen walking at a fast pace away from the scene. Police recovered both. 45 caliber and 9mm shell casings at the location, indicating the chaotic nature of the event.
Less than two months later, on October 14, 2015, the Metropolitan Police Department announced an arrest in the case. Donta Curtis McNeil, a 29-year-old man from Southeast Washington who lived about a mile from where the shooting occurred, was taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder while armed. Court documents revealed that a witness identified McNeil from a series of photographs as the individual who had argued with and shot Antonio Dean. McNeil later pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which also included possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
