District Man Pleads Guilty To Federal And D.C. Charges For Shooting At Van Full Of Police Officers In Northeast WashingtonDefendant Was On Supervised Release At Time Of The Shooting

     WASHINGTON – Shawn Gray, 23, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to charges stemming from a shooting last year in which he fired at an unmarked van full of police officers in Northeast Washington, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

     Gray pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, a District of Columbia offense, and possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, a federal offense. He appeared before the Honorable Richard W. Roberts, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for a sentence of eight to 10 years in prison. Gray is to be sentenced July 25, 2014.

     According to the government's factual proffer, on Jan. 26, 2013, at about 7:10 p.m., officers of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) were operating an unmarked burgundy minivan in the 1600 block of Montello Avenue NE. The officers were wearing casual clothing and operating as a unit in the robbery intervention program.

     As the officers drove through the block, they spotted Gray and another individual acting suspiciously. After the officers drove around and re-entered the block, Gray suddenly fired multiple gunshots at the van.  One bullet entered the van and passed between the four officers inside, and others apparently hit houses across the street.

     Gray fled, but was soon found hiding underneath a parked vehicle in the rear of the alleyway from which he had fired. Seven spent shell casings were found on the ground.  The gun itself was ultimately recovered from the ground near where the defendant was seized.

     At the time of the shooting, Gray was on supervised release for a 2009 conviction in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for carrying a pistol without a license.

     In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Machen praised the work of the Metropolitan Police Department and the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences. He also commended the efforts of those who assisted at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Starla Stolk, Teesha Tobias, and Kim Hall, and Legal Assistant Jessica Moffatt. Finally, he expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincent Caputy, who indicted the case, and Stephen J. Gripkey, who handled the plea and is prosecuting the case.