Kaevaughn Dudley, a 17-year-old from Washington, D.C., was arrested on November 14, 2025, in connection with a shooting that took place during Howard University’s Homecoming event on October 24, 2025. The arrest and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Dudley faces twenty counts related to the incident. He appeared before Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson and is charged with five counts each of assault with intent to murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. These charges correspond to the five victims who were struck by gunfire at the event. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2025.
According to details in the arrest warrant, around 8:22 p.m. on October 24, a group of nine males dressed in black clothing and some wearing black face masks walked through the area near Howard Place NW where people had gathered for homecoming festivities. They encountered another group that included a 13-year-old victim and his friends. After an exchange between the groups—where one asked “What’s up with y’all?” and received “Nothing” as a response—the defendant was seen walking away from the victim’s group before firing several shots at them using a handgun.
Five individuals were shot in the incident; among them was a Morgan State University student who has been paralyzed from the chest down as a result of his injuries. Police officers who were already present due to homecoming responded immediately after hearing gunshots. Three handguns—a privately made Polymer 80 firearm, a Smith & Wesson SD9 2.0 (9mm), and a Glock 19 (9mm)—were recovered at the scene along with eight cartridge casings and one .40 caliber bullet.
The investigation involves collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Metro Transit Police Department. Chief Pamela Smith of MPD, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood, and Chief Michael Anzallo of Metro Transit Police joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing these developments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmanuel Hampton is prosecuting this case.
Authorities remind that "A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
