Man arrested in DC shooting death of 14-year-old boy

WASHINGTON - An arrest has been made in the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy near a church in Southeast D.C., officials announced on Monday.

DC police said 21-year-old Anthony Deandre Allen was arrested in the death of Steven Slaughter, who was gunned down in front of Garden Memorial Presbyterian Church in the 1700 block of Minnesota Avenue, Southeast the evening of Jan. 14.

According to DC Police Chief Peter Newsham, Steven was walking home from a store with friends at about 7 p.m. when there was a robbery attempt. Steven, a ninth grader at Friendship Collegiate Academy, was shot multiple times and later pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.

The 14-year-old was within a block of his home, according to Newsham.

"This was heartbreaking, obviously, to the family. It was heartbreaking to the community," Newsham said during a press conference on Monday. "Steven was described as an outstanding young guy with a world of promise."

"He was a really good kid, a football player from what I understand. You listen to his coaches talk about him, you listen to his family talk about him, it's still, when we talk about it, being able to close the case is the least we can do for the family, but they're going to have to live with this the rest of their lives," Newsham continued.

Authorities said a vehicle of interest, which was stolen during an armed carjacking a week before the shooting, was later located and contained the murder weapon and evidence linking Allen to the crime.
Allen, of Southeast DC, was taken into custody in Northeast DC, police said.

Allen has been charged with first-degree murder and was expected to appear in court on Tuesday. Investigators said they believed at least one other person was involved in the incident.

Anyone with information that could aid detectives in their investigation was urged to call DC Crime Solvers at (202) 727-9099.