Two young men are charged with murdering two boys, ages 14 and 12, in an April ambush outside a Northeast D.C. store that police call payback for a neighborhood feud.
Story Highlights
- Police arrested Antonio Terry, 18, on Sunday, October 25, and Markell Woodings, 20, on Monday, October 26, more than six months after the shooting.
- Each man is accused of two counts of first-degree murder while armed in the deaths of Tyale Coates, 14, and Mhilo Young, 12.
- Police say the attack was retaliation for a killing in another neighborhood, and the boys were not believed to be the specific targets.
- Police are still looking for two more suspects, a third gunman and the driver, and a reward of up to $25,000 per victim stands.
- Prosecutors say much of the case rests on social media: one suspect recorded a rap video about the shooting, and a six-person Instagram group chat cheered the killings.
Arrests in the Kenilworth Avenue Killings
The shooting happened on Tuesday, April 14, at about 3:27 in the afternoon, outside the Circle 7 Express store on the 700 block of Kenilworth Avenue Northeast. According to court documents, a stolen black Honda Accord pulled up to the parking lot, three masked men jumped out and fired dozens of rounds at people standing near a food truck outside the store. Then they drove off.
Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said investigators believe the shooting was retaliation for an incident in another neighborhood. Police say a larger group was the target and the two boys were not believed to be specific targets. “This could have been anyone’s child,” Carroll said, calling it “a tragic, tragic incident.”
Tyale Coates, 14, died at the scene. Mhilo Young, 12, was rushed to a hospital and died there. Young had been shot 18 times, according to reports. Both boys lived in Northeast D.C.
What Prosecutors Say
Antonio Terry, 18, was arrested on Sunday, October 25. Markell Woodings, 20, was arrested on Monday, October 26, hours before police and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the case. Both men are from Southeast D.C. Each is accused of two counts of first-degree murder while armed. Police call the charge premeditated, which means prosecutors say the killing was planned ahead of time. Terry also faces drug and property damage charges.
At Terry’s first court appearance, a judge found probable cause, meaning there is enough evidence for the case to go forward, and ordered him held without bond. His lawyer asked for his release, and the judge said no. His next hearing is set for Monday, November 9. Neither man has been convicted, and both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Prosecutors filed a 58-page criminal complaint, a formal court paper that lays out the charges and the evidence. According to reports, it describes DNA testing and interviews with about a dozen witnesses and tipsters. DNA from two bullet casings matched Terry’s stepfather, not Terry himself, the complaint says.
The Feud Behind the Shooting
Court records suggest the shooters belonged to a crew from the Kenilworth area that was avenging a friend. Two days before the shooting, 18-year-old Dereon Womack was killed in a shooting that left three people dead on 22nd Street Southeast. Witnesses said the Kenilworth crew was feuding with a group from the Paradise and Mayfair neighborhoods. Police say Coates and Young were targeted because of their neighborhood, not because of who they were.
Much of the case rests on social media, according to the complaint. Prosecutors say a six-person Instagram group chat cheered the killings. They say Woodings recorded a rap video about the shooting and posted a photo with Terry captioned “#DiditForDee,” a nod to Womack, whose nickname was Dee. Police say a video from Womack’s funeral shows Terry holding a Glock pistol fitted with a “switch,” a small part that turns a handgun into a machine gun. Police say the weapons in that video match the ones used in the killings.
What Comes Next
Police recovered 70 shell casings at the scene. Two days after the shooting, they found the stolen getaway car burned and abandoned in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The store’s security cameras were not working that day, so detectives had no video from the store itself.
Police have not identified the third gunman or the driver, the two other people investigators are still seeking. The reward of up to $25,000 for each boy, or up to $50,000 in all, is still offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with information can call police at 202-727-9099 or text a tip to 50411.
Sources:
fox5dc.com, mpdc.dc.gov, dc.citycast.fm
