Defendant Fired Seven Shots at Victim
WASHINGTON - Jason Edwards, 32, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on Wednesday of five felony charges stemming from an incident last Halloween in Northeast Washington in which he shot a man, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips announced today.
On June 29, 2016, Edwards was found guilty by a jury of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. The Honorable Anita Josey-Herring presided over the trial. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 30, 2016.
According to the government’s evidence, on Oct. 31, 2015, Edwards arranged to purchase marijuana from the victim, his former coworker. The two men communicated via text message to set up the meeting. Edwards had the victim meet him in the 3100 block of Channing Street, NE. Instead of purchasing marijuana, Edwards-who was wearing a Batman costume-took out a gun and shot the victim in the upper chest. As the victim ran away, Edwards chased him down the street and fired six additional shots, one of which struck the victim in his leg. Fortunately, neither gunshot wound was fatal. The victim was able to identify Edwards by first name within minutes of police arriving on the scene. During its investigation, the government obtained cell site data from Edwards’ phone that placed him in an area consistent with where the shooting took place.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips praised the work of those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Forensic Sciences, and the FBI. He also expressed appreciation to those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Litigation Technology Specialists Anisha Bhatia and Aneela Bhatia; and Paralegal Specialist Donville Drummond. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Laura Crane, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
