Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed in Double Homicide in Southeast Washington

            WASHINGTON – Beysean Jones, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a Superior Court jury for the July 2022 deadly shooting of Ronald Brown, 19, and Tijuan Wilson, 41, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            When the jury returned their verdict on June 26, 2024, Jones was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while armed, one count of assault with intent to kill and related charges. He was also found guilty of various firearms related charges. The jury returned a verdict after less than a day of deliberations following a two-week trial before Superior Court Judge Michael K. O’Keefe. Sentencing is scheduled for September 20, 2024.

            According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on July 22, 2022, surveillance video captured an argument between Ronald Brown and Beysean Jones at the SC Discount Tobacco and Grocery store on South Capitol St. SW on the Maryland border. Shortly thereafter, shots fired from Brown’s vehicle struck Jones’ vehicle and Jones returned fire in the 4000 block of Livingston Rd. SE. A civilian witness who associated with Jones in the drug trade called in a tip, and provided testimony at trial, about texts he received from Jones about the shooting on the 22^nd and statements and actions Jones made in preparation for retaliating against Brown, including putting a $30,000 bounty on the person who shot him.

            Just five days later, surveillance video captured a vehicle follow Ronald Brown’s vehicle from a nearby apartment and then that same tobacco store for several minutes, eventually into a residential parking lot surrounded by apartments in the 4300 block of 4^th St. SE. That vehicle backed into a parking space several spaces down from Brown’s vehicle and at least two shooters opened fire with both .40 caliber and rifle rounds, firing over 60 rounds in the direction of Brown. This barrage of fire killed Tijuan Wilson and badly injured his partner of over 18 years, though luckily their children, who were outside at the time, were unharmed. Others in the parking lot returned fire. Multiple vehicles and residential buildings were damaged by gunfire.

            Casings left behind on July 27^, 2022, near the suspect vehicle were ballistically linked to the casings Jones fired at Brown on July 22, 2022.

            Jones was arrested on November 1, 2022, and has been in custody since that time. The government’s evidence at trial included witness testimony, video surveillance, cell site records, ShotSpotter audio, body worn camera footage, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence.

            This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Antonelli and Zach Horton.