Two Washington, D.C. men have been indicted and arraigned in connection with a daytime shooting that took place in November 2024 in a residential neighborhood of southeast D.C., according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Vance McIlwain, 32, and Kenneth Johnson, 32, were indicted on August 13, 2025 by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. They face charges including assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, aggravated assault while armed, endangerment with a firearm, and conspiracy. Johnson faces an additional charge for unlawful possession of a firearm.
Both defendants appeared for arraignment on August 15 before Judge Jason Park. If convicted on all charges, each could face up to thirty years in prison.
According to government evidence presented at the hearing, on November 8, 2024 at around 3:50 p.m., security footage showed McIlwain and Johnson conspiring inside an apartment building hallway before the shooting. The footage allegedly depicts Johnson passing a cross-body bag believed to contain a firearm to McIlwain. Both then moved toward the building’s entryway landing where McIlwain exited briefly with the gun before returning it momentarily to Johnson who re-racked it and handed it back.
McIlwain then left the building again and fired more than fifteen rounds at the victim seated on a front porch nearby. A stray bullet entered another resident's home; another was found on the porch.
Following the shooting incident, authorities say McIlwain returned to hand off the weapon to Johnson before fleeing further from the scene. Police later arrested Johnson inside one of the apartment units while McIlwain was taken into custody about ninety minutes after the incident nearby. Investigators recovered fifteen spent shell casings at the scene. Both men have remained in custody since their arrests.
Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing these developments.
The case is under investigation by Metropolitan Police Department officers and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rudolf.
"An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," said officials.
