Dominique Rontae Franklin was 16 when he was found dead inside an abandoned public housing unit in the 200 block of M Street Southwest, Washington, D.C. Police and emergency services responded on the morning of Friday, August 30, 2019, after construction workers found an unconscious person. Dominique had multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation was hampered because a surveillance camera directly outside the apartment was not operational at the time. Dominique had been reported missing on August 14 and was reportedly located on August 28 before being killed two days later. Friends and family remembered him as a young man with a good head on his shoulders.

On January 8, 2020, detectives arrested 17-year-old Jwhan Simpson of Gaithersburg, Maryland, and charged him as an adult with First Degree Murder while Armed. A reward of up to $25,000 had been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with information about Dominique’s death is asked to come forward.