Matthew M. Graves U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
Saki Frost and Azhari Graves, both 18 and residents of Washington, D.C., have been indicted on charges related to a shooting near Dunbar High School. The incident occurred on May 3, 2024. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department announced the charges, which include assault with intent to kill while armed.
The defendants are scheduled for arraignment on February 20, 2025, before Judge J. Michael Ryan in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Both face multiple charges including aggravated assault while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. Frost is also charged with assault with intent to murder while armed as an adult under Title 16, despite being 17 at the time of the incident.
Evidence presented by the government suggests that around 9:53 am on May 3, 2024, Graves and Frost allegedly opened fire on a sedan driving along Kirby Street, NW, near Dunbar High School. A witness reported hearing machine gun fire during the incident. Surveillance footage reportedly shows both individuals running down an alleyway with firearms prior to the shooting and captures Frost allegedly firing toward the sedan.
Afterward, surveillance video appears to show Graves holding a firearm with an emptied magazine before they fled in a vehicle. Later that day, Metropolitan Police Department officers located and arrested them. Investigators recovered 29 shell casings from the scene and noted damage to Dunbar High School's exterior and classrooms inside. A student was grazed by a bullet during the shooting.
The case is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Christian Natiello.
It should be noted that an indictment is only an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
