Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Shooting Two Men, Killing One and Severely Wounding the Other

            WASHINGTON – DeJuan Bell, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total of 24 years in prison for the December 2021 murder of Davon Childs and the shooting of another individual. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Bell pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024. On May 17, 2024, Superior Court Judge Marisa J. Demeo sentenced Bell to 24 years in prison, with five years of supervised release for second degree murder while armed to run concurrently with the sentence of 12 years in prison for aggravated assault while armed and five years of supervised release for that charge.

            According to the government’s evidence, with which Bell agreed, on the evening of December 10, 2021, at approximately 10:00 p.m., in the second floor hallway of an apartment building located in the 2300 block of 4th Street NE, Bell intentionally fired a 9mm semi-automatic handgun at least seven times in the direction of two unarmed people, striking both and killing one of them.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Lauren Douglas and former Paralegal Debra Forte. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin DeRiso and Sarah Santiago, who investigated and prosecuted the case.