Walter Jenkins, a 36-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a shooting that occurred in November 2021. The incident resulted in the death of one man and injury to another.
Jenkins entered his plea on August 21, 2025. The plea agreement is contingent upon court approval and could result in a sentence ranging from 18 to 33 and a half years under the District of Columbia Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines. Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 18, 2025.
According to information presented at the hearing, Metropolitan Police Department Seventh District officers responded to reports of gunshots at around 4:47 p.m. on November 14, 2021, in the 2000 Block of Alabama Avenue SE. Officers found two victims near a vehicle on Bruce Place. David Williams was discovered breathing but barely conscious after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders transported him to George Washington University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead more than an hour later despite lifesaving efforts. The second victim sustained gunshot wounds to his lower legs and was taken to Med-Star hospital in stable condition.
Jenkins was arrested on February 4, 2022, and has remained in custody since then.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the guilty plea along with Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. "This case was investigated by officers, detectives, and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department."
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Horton and Miles Janssen.
