On the morning of December 18, 2023, 27-year-old Jihad Darden was shot and killed while walking with a lifelong friend in Northwest Washington, D.C. The two had just left the Lucky Corner Store on Georgia Avenue and were returning to a car parked on the 5400 block of Illinois Avenue when an individual ran up from behind and fired multiple shots at Darden. His friend, who was armed, returned fire at the fleeing assailant.

Fourth District officers heard the gunshots around 11:46 a.m. near Georgia Avenue and Kennedy Street and found Darden suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken in a private vehicle to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Darden’s family described him as having his life senselessly cut short; his girlfriend called him her best friend and soulmate and his mother spoke of the family’s suffering.

The Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch opened an investigation into the killing. Does anyone who was in the Georgia Avenue or Illinois Avenue area that morning have dashcam, surveillance footage, or other information that could help identify the shooter?