On the late afternoon of May 15, 2021, a mass shooting on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue Northeast in Washington, D.C., left 28-year-old Lester Howard fatally wounded. Officers and EMS arrived around 4:55 pm; Howard and two women had sustained gunshot wounds. Howard was pronounced dead at the scene. The two women were treated at local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, and a fourth victim later sought hospital treatment for a gunshot wound from the same incident.

In the weeks after the shooting friends kept a street memorial and daily vigil for Howard. Police identified and arrested 31-year-old Juan Peterson on September 14, 2021; he was charged with first-degree murder while armed. Court documents allege Peterson acted as the getaway driver and provided the firearm, while the person who fired the shots remains unidentified. Survivors have testified about ongoing fear and anxiety; legal proceedings are underway and the shooter has not been publicly identified.

If anyone has information about the unidentified shooter or the events that afternoon, please share what you know.