Dearay Wilson, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Apr. 10 to 18 years in prison for the fatal shooting of Jeremy Black in June 2021, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The sentencing addresses a violent incident that resulted in the death of an innocent bystander and highlights efforts by authorities to respond firmly to gun violence in the city.
Wilson pleaded guilty on February 13, 2026, to second-degree murder while armed at the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Neal E. Kravitz ordered Wilson’s prison term be followed by five years of supervised release and required him to register as a gun offender.
"This sentencing sends a clear and necessary message: violent crime will not go unanswered," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "Dearay Wilson and other shooters indiscriminately fired over 45 rounds into a busy public street, killing Jeremy Black—an innocent man walking with his wife and friends after dinner. Our thoughts remain with his loved ones, and this office remains committed to stopping outrageous killing on the streets of the District."
According to government evidence presented in court, Wilson and three others drove armed to Johnson Avenue Northwest on June 29, 2021. They fired multiple shots at people outside an apartment building in the area; Black was walking nearby with his wife and friends after dining out when he was struck once in his left torso and died at the scene. The shooters fled using a stolen vehicle.
Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department joined Pirro in announcing the sentence and commended those involved in investigating the case from law enforcement agencies as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted it.
The outcome underscores ongoing efforts by local authorities to address gun violence through legal action against those responsible.
