Jamil P. Washington was a 34-year-old Black man from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and a father to four children: Taylesiah, Jaeshaun, Ava, and Noree. His obituary remembers him as a son to Claudia and Lawrence, a brother to Travis, Tamonte, and Derrick, and a friend to countless others. His life was cut short in a violent encounter at his home in the winter of 2019.
On the evening of Saturday, December 14, 2019, just before 9:05 p.m., Fredericksburg police officers responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment in the 1200 block of Kenmore Avenue. Inside, they discovered two men who had been shot. Mr. Washington was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim was transported to a local hospital for his injuries and was released the following morning.
Detectives immediately began an investigation, with officers setting up a perimeter around the apartment complex.
The initial information suggested that three male suspects, all wearing masks, were involved in the shooting. The Fredericksburg Police Department, with assistance from the Prince William County Police Department, worked quickly to identify those responsible for the attack.
The investigation led to a breakthrough just two days later. On Monday, December 16, authorities arrested 19-year-old Darian Lamar Wilhoit Jones of Stafford County. He was charged with a series of felonies, including capital murder, attempted capital murder, attempted robbery, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was subsequently held without bond at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center. Shortly thereafter, police announced the arrest of a second 19-year-old suspect, Maurice Richardson Jr., in connection with the deadly shooting.
As of the second arrest in December 2019, the investigation into the double shooting remained active. Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call the Fredericksburg Police Department at 540-373-3122.
