Laquanda Swoops Johnson, 24, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of July 11, 2006, while standing with a friend outside an apartment building at 22nd Street and Southern Avenue, S.E., in Washington, D.C. The killing came after she had cooperated with prosecutors in a 2004 murder trial, and investigators treated retaliation for that cooperation as the primary motive. Her family also raised concerns that her openness as a lesbian could have made her a target, but police said they had no evidence to classify the killing as a hate crime.

Police arrested 20-year-old Alphonce Little of Southeast D.C. on the same day as the shooting after a witness came forward; he was charged with first-degree murder while armed. Johnson’s death was among several homicides that contributed to the mayor declaring a crime emergency in the city.

If anyone knew Laquanda or has information about what happened that night, please share what you know.