A dispute between friends turned deadly in southeast Washington, D.C., when 38-year-old Darnell Bernard Shaw Jr., also known as DJ, was shot multiple times and killed on November 9, 2022. Officers found Shaw at about 12:05 a.m. in the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE; he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. Reports say the altercation began over drugs and name-calling and that his friend Andre White had allegedly threatened Shaw days earlier. On the night of the shooting White shot Shaw four times in the back.

Shaw’s family described him as loyal and generous despite limited means. They protested when White pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter rather than the original premeditated first-degree murder charge, saying the plea did not deliver justice. A D.C. Superior Court judge later sentenced Andre White to 16 years in prison for his role in Shaw’s death.

Did anyone know Shaw as DJ or have information about his relationship with White that could shed light on what led to the shooting?