Calvon Brown, 30, Guilty of Aggravated Assault while Armed for Southeast DC Shooting

Friday, September 27, 2024

WASHINGTON – Calvon Brown, 30, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury yesterday of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and other related firearm charges for a late-afternoon shooting that took place on March 22, 2024, in Southeast DC, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.

            The verdict was returned on September 26, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Erik Christian scheduled sentencing for December 10, 2024.

            According to the government’s evidence, on March 22, 2024, the victim walked into a corner store in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE in which the defendant and his associates were dealing suspected drugs.  The defendant verbally confronted the victim about his loud music playing from a portable Bluetooth speaker, and the two agreed to go outside to what the victim thought was a fistfight.  When they got outside, the victim put his things down to ready himself, but the defendant indicated that they needed to go around the corner and into the alley.  When they did so, the defendant pulled out a gun and shot at the victim several times, one shot of which hit the victim in the upper thigh/buttocks.  The victim and the defendant then wrestled over the gun.  Ultimately, the victim was able to recover it and tried to fire back at the defendant, but the gun jammed.  The defendant then fled the scene.  The victim then called his girlfriend, who encouraged him to go to the police station to report the incident. The defendant was arrested on April 25, 2024, and has been held since.

            This aggravated assault charge was brought as a result of the D.C. Council’s Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. The change in the law recognizes that all gunshot wounds are serious bodily injury for purposes of aggravated assault.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lizzy Van Haasteren and Mark Levy.