Shortly after 1:19 a.m. on September 2, 2024, gunfire was reported in the 2800 block of 7th Street Northeast in Washington, D.C. Responding officers found 46-year-old Townsend Reginald Sowell of Northeast suffering from gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators identified two suspects. On September 11, 2024, 32-year-old Bryant Nelson of Temple Hills, Maryland, was arrested by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and charged with first-degree murder while armed. Court testimony described surveillance footage showing an argument between Nelson and Sowell minutes before the shooting, Nelson meeting another man, both moving toward where Sowell was later found, and people on video reacting to gunfire as Nelson ran away. GPS data from a device Nelson was wearing and Ring footage that helped identify him by a tattoo were also mentioned at court.

Does anyone have information about Sowell’s movements that night or the two men seen on surveillance?