WASHINGTON — DC Police say they arrested a man Friday in connection with a fatal August shooting on the northeast side.
DaJohn Blunt, of Northwest, was taken into custody Friday on a charge of first degree murder while armed.
According to police, Blunt was charged in connection with a fatal shooting Aug. 19 in the 2100 block of H Street NE. Officers arrived on scene shortly after 10 p.m. that evening on a report of a shooting and located and adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Saturday, police identified the victim in that shooting as 34-year-old Kevin McDowell, of Northeast.
Blunt was expected to make his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court next week. No information about the case was immediately available on the court’s web portal.
To date, at least 227 people have been the victims of homicides in D.C. in 2023 – up from 175 at the same time last year. District officials have struggled to combat the rise in violent crime, with the D.C. Council approving a package of emergency legislation this summer. Last month, the council authorized an extension of that legislation.
Police have increasingly identified youth suspects in violent crimes. On Thursday, police arrested a 16-year-old already wanted on a homicide warrant out of Maryland on charges linked to two armed robberies and a carjacking. A day later, two other teens appeared in D.C. Superior Court on first degree murder charges for allegedly shooting and killing a 17-year-old in September while attempting to rob him of his shoes.