A jury in Washington, D.C., has found Reginald Steele, Jr., 26, guilty of first-degree murder while armed, multiple counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and other firearm-related charges. The verdict relates to the killing of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020, as well as a separate shooting in the Petworth neighborhood on February 22, 2020. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.
Steele is identified as a member and associate of several neighborhood crews including 3500, CHV, Rock Creek Church, Really Ready Gang, and 640. According to prosecutors, between 2019 and 2020 these groups were involved in an ongoing feud with street crews from Ninth Street over territorial disputes.
The conflict escalated after Tahlil Byrd (also known as Slatt Goon), a member of the Really Ready Gang, was killed in September 2019 in an area controlled by Ninth Street. On March 1, 2020—five months after Byrd’s death—Steele and three co-defendants drove through Ninth Street territory searching for members or associates of the rival crew. They encountered Malachi Lukes and his friends walking toward S Street NW to play basketball.
Prosecutors stated that Steele and another individual exited their vehicle—a stolen Kia Soul—and fired eleven shots at the group of teenagers. Malachi Lukes was struck in the back while fleeing; the bullet passed through his heart and lung causing his death. Another boy was wounded in the leg; two others escaped unharmed. Shortly afterward, Steele and his associates went to another location where they fired at individuals but caused no injuries.
Evidence presented during trial included surveillance videos, text messages, GPS data from the stolen vehicle, cell site information, and shell casings recovered from both shooting scenes on March 1. These casings matched evidence from a previous shooting on February 22 in Petworth where Steele allegedly fired at two individuals following a verbal altercation.
U.S. Attorney Pirro announced the verdict alongside Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith. Both officials commended investigators from MPD as well as various support staff including paralegals Sharon Newman, Tasha Harris, April Urbanowski; Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen; Supervisory Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; Robert Cephas; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Leif Hickling; Will Henderson; Charlie Bruce; Litigation Technology Unit staff; Office of E-Litigation Chief Emily Miller; Special Counsel for Discovery Chimnomnso Kalu; ATF; FBI; U.S. Marshal Service; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; U.S. Park Police; Montgomery County Police Department; DC Department of Corrections; and Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb and Nebiyu Feleke for their roles in prosecuting this case.
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