Derrick Gladden, 55, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on July 24 to 96 months in prison in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for shooting Christopher Seward during a dispute in April 2024, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Gladden was found guilty by a jury on March 11, 2026, of one count each of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. In addition to the prison sentence, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Gladden to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on April 15, 2024, at approximately 2:15 p.m., Seward was standing on the first-floor patio of his friend’s apartment in the 2300 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE when Gladden confronted him about an ongoing dispute over money. Gladden then pulled out a firearm and shot Seward once in the chest. The victim suffered a serious injury and almost died; however, thanks to the Whole Blood Program launched earlier that month, he received a blood transfusion in the ambulance and survived. In April 2025, before having an opportunity to testify at trial, Seward died from cancer.
After learning from Seward who had shot him, police obtained an emergency search warrant for Gladden’s residence, where they located ammunition matching a casing found near the scene as well as firearms accessories and a holster. A neighbor also provided Ring camera footage showing Gladden fleeing from his apartment after the shooting.
Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentence, and commended those who investigated from the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Eliot Folsom and Natalie Anderson prosecuted this case.