IN THE COURTS | District Man Sentenced to Nine-Year Prison Term for Fatally Shooting Man in Southeast Washington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 24, 2022

Defendant Shot Victim Multiple Times Outside Gas Station

            WASHINGTON – Lloyd Patterson Ross, 21, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a nine-year prison term for fatally shooting a man last year at a gas station in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). 

            Patterson-Ross pleaded guilty in June 2022, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea agreement, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon term of 7 ½-to-9 years in prison. The Honorable Marisa Demeo accepted the plea and sentenced Patterson-Ross accordingly on Oct. 21, 2022. Following his prison term, he will be placed on five years of supervised release.

            According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 22, 2021, at approximately 10:15 p.m., Patterson-Ross was at a gas station in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street SE along with the victim, Dawaan Saunders. Mr. Saunders, who was armed, along with another individual attempted to rob Patterson-Ross and his associates.  The robbery attempt failed, and Mr. Saunders attempted to flee. He ran across the street to another gas station but dropped his firearm as he was running. He then attempted to enter a vehicle but was unsuccessful.

            Patterson-Ross subsequently picked up the firearm on the ground and chased Mr. Saunders. He then shot Mr. Saunders, causing him to fall.  Patterson-Ross then fled. But after seeing Mr. Saunders attempt to get back up, he came back and shot him multiple times at close range. Mr. Saunders, 30, was shot 14 times and subsequently died. 

            Patterson-Ross was arrested on Dec. 20, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Lashone Samuels and Victim/ Witness Specialist Karina Hernandez.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shehzad Akhtar who investigated and prosecuted the case.