Christian Gabriel Monje, 29, was shot in the head in the early hours of Memorial Day, May 30, 2022, while sitting on the steps of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in downtown Washington, D.C. He had been visiting a friend and was described as taking a moment to himself in what was considered a safe area. Christian was an aspiring chef known as Chef Dembow, with social media full of photos of his culinary work; he had graduated from Robinson Secondary and was working an office job after previously driving school buses.

Around 4:30 a.m., an altercation occurred when a man later identified as James Carl Jackson approached Christian. Surveillance showed an individual believed to be that man fleeing down an alley and discarding a 9mm Polymer80 ghost gun behind a dumpster; the firearm was later tied to the shooting. Christian was found robbed and taken to a nearby hospital on life support; he died on June 16, 2022.

If anyone was in the area of St. Matthew’s Cathedral that morning or has information about the confrontation, please come forward.