Arrest in teen's fatal shooting at D.C. train station
WASHINGTON --A teenager was charged Tuesday with the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old last weekend on a train station platform in Washington.
Maurice Bellamy, 17, of southeast Washington was charged as an adult with second-degree murder while armed. Online court records show that a court appearance Tuesday, he was ordered held in jail. His next court appearance was scheduled for April 22.
Police said Bellamy fatally shot 15-year-old Davonte Washington on Saturday at the Deanwood Metro station. Davonte died of two gunshots to the torso, according to a court document.
The document says police were able to identify Bellamy as a suspect as a result of surveillance video footage from the scene and that two witnesses who were at the station with Bellamy confirmed his identity after being shown a photograph of him.
One witness who was with Bellamy at the time of the shooting said that when Bellamy was near Davonte he heard Bellamy curse and ask why he was being looked at, saying, "You know me from somewhere?" The witness said he saw Davonte getting up off a bench where he was sitting, heard both men say "What?" and then the shooting took place, according to the court document.
Davonte's mother, who was also with him at the time of the shooting, told investigators that her son and the suspect, later identified as Bellamy, exchanged words. She said her son said, "What you talking about cuz?" and that she saw him stand up before both teens said "What's up?" and the shooting occurred, according to the court document.
Police Chief Cathy Lanier said at a news conference Tuesday that in her opinion the shooting was over "nothing." Metropolitan Police Department district commander David Taylor said previously that a conversation escalated into an argument.
Madalyn Harvey, a lawyer listed in online court records as representing Bellamy, did not immediately return a telephone message Tuesday afternoon requesting comment.