Sweeping Jury Verdict Caps Nearly Four Years of Legal Work
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A jury in D.C. Superior Court has convicted six people for their roles in a 2021 Labor Day weekend mass shooting that killed three bystanders and wounded three others outside an apartment building on Longfellow Street NW. Four defendants—Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, Damonta Thompson, and William Johnson Lee, all of Washington—were found guilty on Thursday of first-degree murder while armed, conspiracy, and related assault charges. Two accomplices—Toyia Johnson of Rockville, Md., and Mussay Rezene of Washington—were convicted of evidence tampering and accessory offenses after the fact.
The decision follows a complex investigation that pieced together ballistics, surveillance footage, cell-phone records, and eyewitness testimony. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro called the outcome “a decisive blow against the culture of retaliatory violence” that has plagued several D.C. neighborhoods.
How a Neighborhood Gathering Turned Into a Killing Ground
Evidence presented at trial showed that around 7:33 p.m. on Sept. 4, 2021, a rented Nissan Altima driven by Thompson stopped near the corner of Longfellow and 7th Streets NW. Dubose, Queen, and Johnson Lee stepped out, moved quietly toward a crowd enjoying a late-summer block gathering, then opened fire without warning.
Within seconds, Donetta Dyson, 31; Keenan Braxton, 24; and Johnny Joyner, 37 lay mortally injured on the sidewalk. Three other people were struck but survived. Prosecutors said none of the six victims were the intended targets. The shooters sprinted back to Thompson’s vehicle and sped off toward Northeast Washington.
A Coordinated Cover-Up: False 911 Calls and Torched Evidence
Within hours, investigators traced the Altima to Toyia Johnson, who had rented it days earlier. Johnson repeatedly dialed 911 after the attack, falsely reporting the car stolen in what prosecutors argued was an attempt to steer detectives away from the real driver.
Not satisfied with the misdirection, Dubose and Rezene took a more drastic step. Just after midnight on Sept. 6, 2021, the pair drove the Altima to Eads Street NE, doused it with accelerant, and set it ablaze. Forensic crews later recovered enough charred evidence to link the vehicle—and ultimately the shooters—to the Longfellow crime scene.
Retaliation at the Root
Investigators testified that the bloodshed was payback for an earlier, non-fatal shooting on Oglethorpe Street NE less than an hour before the Longfellow attack. While the Oglethorpe incident remains under investigation, prosecutors said cell-phone chatter and social-media posts showed the defendants were convinced someone at the Longfellow cookout was connected to the earlier gunfire.
Charges and Potential Sentences
The jury convicted Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee, and Thompson on three counts each of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and a single count of conspiracy to commit a violent crime. Under D.C. guidelines, each murder conviction carries a potential sentence of 30 years to life.
Toyia Johnson and Rezene face lesser, but still substantial, penalties for obstruction: up to 20 years for evidence tampering and up to five years for being accessories after the fact. Sentencing hearings are expected later this year.
Prosecutor Denounces “Total Inhumanity”
Announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro condemned the ambush as “senseless violence that will not be tolerated in this city. These thugs put innocent bystanders in harm’s way, proving their total inhumanity.” She credited the jury for sending “a clear message” and vowed to pursue lengthy prison terms.
Metropolitan Police Applaud Community Cooperation
MPD Chief Pamela Smith joined Pirro in praising detectives and community members whose tips were crucial. “Our investigators worked night and day, but we could not have achieved this outcome without neighbors who refused to let fear silence them,” Smith said.
From Crime Scene to Courtroom: Key Pieces of Evidence
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Surveillance video captured the shooters exiting and re-entering the Altima.
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Ballistic analysis matched shell casings found at Longfellow with weapons later recovered in an unrelated traffic stop.
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Cell-site data placed all four primary defendants near both the Oglethorpe and Longfellow locations within a one-hour window.
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Burn-pattern forensics on the torched vehicle revealed accelerant traces consistent with a hastily staged arson.
Praise for the Trial Team
Pirro singled out Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones for shepherding the case from indictment to trial amid pandemic-related backlogs. She also recognized victim-witness advocates who supported grieving families during the proceedings.
Community Impact and Next Steps
Residents along Longfellow Street held a candlelight vigil after the verdict, remembering Dyson, Braxton, and Joyner as “bright, loving neighbors whose only mistake was being outside on a holiday weekend.” Local ANC commissioners have renewed calls for street-lighting upgrades and violence-interruption programs.
All six defendants remain in custody awaiting sentencing. Appeals are expected, but prosecutors expressed confidence the convictions will withstand scrutiny.
A Measure of Closure
For the families of the slain, the jury’s decision closes one chapter of a tragedy that began almost four years ago. “Nothing brings my daughter back,” said Latasha Dyson, Donetta’s mother, outside the courthouse. “But today, at least, someone is finally being held responsible.”
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