A 14-year-old boy has been charged in the death of a Maryland man who was killed by gunfire outside a McDonald’s restaurant in D.C. on July Fourth. A second suspect is still sought by police.
Antonio Gardiner, 36, of Oxon Hill, died after he was shot on July 4. He was a “peaceful” family man and father of three, his godbrother told News4.
“Antonio was a very reserved guy. Paradoxically, that’s what made him stand out to me,” his relative said.
D.C. police say Gardiner was a customer at the McDonald’s in the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, on the edge of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, the night of July Fourth. Someone set off fireworks inside the restaurant and Gardiner stepped outside. He was caught in crossfire and shot multiple times.
Officers responded at about 11 p.m. and Gardiner was taken to a hospital. Life-saving efforts failed and he was pronounced dead.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested July 8 and charged with first-degree murder, police said the following day. His name was not released.
A second young person is still sought by police. He was caught on surveillance footage.
Eleven-year-old Davon McNeal was shot the same night, as he left an anti-violence cookout with his mother.
Gardiner’s godbrother said his family is stunned by his death.
“I don’t understand it,” he said.
