Maryland man charged in DC 11-year-old’s death pleads not guilty
WASHINGTON - A Maryland man – who had been released from jail in part due to COVID-19 concerns – pleaded not guilty in connection with the death of an 11-year-old boy in Southeast D.C.
Christian Wingfield is now back behind bars – where he’s being held without bond.
READ MORE: DC police make 2nd arrest in killing of 11-year-old Davon McNeal
Wingfield is one of at least four suspects who faces charges for the death of Davon McNeal.
He’s been charged with first-degree murder.
A second suspect - 18-year-old Daryle Bond of Southeast – had already been taken into custody.
Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and Weather
McNeal was killed after a July 4th community “peace” cookout.
His mother told FOX 5 that the boy was getting a cellphone charger when he was gunned down.
Investigators initially discovered at least 15 shell casings from what the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), found to be five firearms represented at the scene. This is according to the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), according to court documents.
Investigators pieced their investigation together by talking with multiple witnesses, viewing Instagram and YouTube images and surveillance footage captured at the Frederick Douglass Garden Apartments where the fatal shooting occurred.
Witnesses had described hearing fireworks mixed in with the sound of gunshots.
One witness described as “W-6” was seen in Body Warn Camera distraught and replied “no” when an officer asked, “did you see who it was, like a car or anything?” according to court documents, which later say when interviewing with homicide detectives, the same witnesses reported seeing the 11-year-old walk toward 1425 Cedar St SE when they “observed guys from a neighboring rival crew, ‘Choppa City,’ come down the alley that runs between the 1400 block of Bangor Street and the 1400 block of Cedar Street and begin shooting.”
According to that same witness, five suspects from Cedar Guards were seen shooting toward the same alley before running up toward the top of the Frederick Douglass Garden Apartments in response.
Court documents also note the neighborhood groups “Choppa City” and “YOG” (Young original Gangsters” have been “beefing.” Investigators say this violence has resulted in multiple shootings and homicides. Investigators also noted NIBIN leads that potentially connect ballistic evidence found at the Cedar St., SE shooting to other incidents in the area, from May 2019 to June 2020.
It’s still unclear what the suspects were shooting at when shots were fired according to the court documents.