Ali Jamil Al-Mahdi, 32, was shot to death in the early morning of August 23, 2021, on the 1800 block of Ninth Street NW in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. Police found him with multiple gunshot wounds around 2:24 a.m.; he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The cause of death was listed as gunshot wounds.

Investigators focused on a suspect after learning of a prior history between Al-Mahdi and Deonte Patterson: Al-Mahdi had shot Patterson in 2019, an incident that led to Al-Mahdi’s conviction and imprisonment. On the night of August 23, both men had been at a nightclub. Testimony said Patterson’s on-and-off girlfriend was with him when Al-Mahdi followed them outside and walked toward Patterson’s car; she heard gunshots after getting into the vehicle but did not see who fired. Patterson was later involved in a nearby car crash; a firearm and Patterson were ejected from the vehicle, and DNA linked the gun to Patterson and to cartridge casings at the shooting scene.

In January 2023, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 27-year-old Deonte Patterson of Suitland, Maryland, and he was charged with second-degree murder while armed. A jury later found Patterson guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and obstructing justice. Anyone who knew Al-Mahdi or has information about that night is asked to come forward.