Antonio Cunningham

On a Monday afternoon, Antonio Cunningham, a 17-year-old Black male, was on his way to his after-school job at a Jersey Mike's sub shop. A junior at Dunbar High School, Antonio was described by his father, Antonio Davis, as a "very playful young man" who loved to joke around and stayed out of trouble. His family said he was a hard worker who was devoted to his five siblings. "I just feel like I’m in a nightmare right now," his father said after the tragedy.

The nightmare began around 4:30 p.m. on September 11, 2023, in a shopping plaza in the Brentwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C. As Antonio walked in the 2300 block of Washington Place, several masked individuals jumped out of a black SUV and accosted him in an attempted robbery. A 56-year-old man who was parking his truck nearby saw the assailants shove Antonio and another teen against a glass window and decided to intervene. He called out to the attackers, trying to get them to leave the teens alone.

One of the assailants confronted the bystander, asking "Who are you?" before turning and shooting him in the abdomen without warning. The attackers then fired again, striking Antonio in the head. Both victims were rushed to a local hospital, where Antonio Cunningham was pronounced dead. The man who tried to help him was left in critical condition but ultimately survived his injuries.

Investigators determined that the fatal shooting was the culmination of a day-long crime spree involving multiple armed robberies. The investigation led police to two teenage suspects. On November 2, 2023, officers arrested 16-year-old Marlan Smith Jr. and 17-year-old Anthony Monroe.

Both teenagers were charged as adults with first-degree murder while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and five counts of robbery. They were ordered held without bond. On October 28, 2024, Smith and Monroe appeared before a DC Superior Court judge and accepted plea deals in connection with the fatal shooting of Antonio Cunningham. This development concluded the court proceedings as of October 2024.