Well, this situation just keeps getting worse and worse, now doesn’t it? It was awful enough that Thursday’s shooting at the Columbia Heights Metro station stemmed from an orientation for the District’s Summer Jobs Program, but news broke earlier this evening that the main suspect in the crime is a nineteen-year-old who had been interning in, of all people, Councilman Jim Graham’s office.
How this story could get any more depressing and entangled in local government is difficult to imagine at this point; what is clear is that we’re going to be hearing about this incident for quite some time.
The councilman’s account is as follows:
By early [Friday] afternoon, I received a call from media with a rumor that the shooter was an intern in my office.
I could hardly believe what I heard…all the same, I confronted the young man with this incredible report. He had started work in my office only this week, and had been absent for the better part of two days.
He had been at the Convention Center for the summer youth program. In response to my direct questions, he denied any involvement with the afternoon shooting.
I also contacted a high ranking MPD official, who assured me that MPD at that time had no suspects.
I then went to the Mayor’s press conference on gang violence at 14th and Irving. During the press conference, I heard MPD announce that they had a suspect and expected to make an arrest before the end of the day.
When I got back to the office, after 5 PM, all the interns had left. But I received a call from MPD saying they had a warrant for the intern’s arrest on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon.
I then called the intern, whose is a 19 year old named Devyn Black, and told him there was a warrant out for his arrest.
I advised him that the best course for action was for him to turn himself in, and cooperate with eh police.
I offered to come and get him in my car and take him to the Third District headquarters at 17th and V.
He agreed, and I went and got him. He surrendered to police and 3D, was charged and is now in custody.
It’s very sad and upsetting. But he did the right thing ultimately.
Very sad, indeed.
