Damon McQuarters, a 45-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has entered a guilty plea for the second-degree murder of Michael Simpson. The incident occurred in 2024 on the sidewalk outside the Citgo gas station at 3820 Minnesota Ave. NE, Washington. This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
McQuarters admitted to one count of second-degree murder in Superior Court, with Judge Danya Dayson setting sentencing for August 22, 2025. He faces a potential prison term ranging from 21 to 25 years, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to details presented during the plea hearing, on August 24, 2024, around 5:35 p.m., McQuarters approached Simpson while he was socializing with friends near the gas station. McQuarters took out a handgun from his pocket and shot Simpson once in the head before walking away with the weapon. Simpson was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries the next day.
McQuarters has remained in custody since his arrest on September 26, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Coronado.
