A 16-year-old is charged with killing a man who was celebrating his birthday along U Street in October. D.C. police say the suspect was effectively tipped off by Virginia officials and able to remove evidence from his home.
Fairfax County Public Schools student Ashton Inabinet, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested on Tuesday and charged as an adult with second-degree murder while armed, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Diamonte Lewis, a father of two from Southeast D.C., was shot and killed in front of Nellie's Sports Bar at 9th and U streets NW early on Oct. 21.
Police believe Inabinet was one of two people who shot at Lewis. Court documents don’t identify the second suspect.
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Detectives believe Inabinet and Lewis, who didn’t know each other, fought near 14th and U streets and then left with separate groups.
The suspects and victim met again at 9th and U streets. Some witnesses reported another fight before two suspects began shooting, court documents said.
Lewis suffered six gunshot wounds, the documents said.
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In the court documents, an officer wrote that the suspect could have left but instead pulled out a gun.
DC police say killing suspect was ‘effectively tipped off’ before his home was searched
Inabinet is a student at West Potomac High School in Fairfax County. According to police, a school resource officer helped identify him.
Fairfax County police said officers delivered a letter from Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid banning him from school on Nov. 28, after learning that D.C. police intended to pursue charges.
In court documents, D.C. detectives criticized Fairfax officials for letting Inabinet know he was under investigation and said the information gave the suspect about a week to remove evidence from his home.
“The defendant was essentially tipped off by School Officials and Fairfax County Police without coordinating with DC Homicide, that he was under investigation in D.C.,” a detective wrote in court documents.
In a statement, Fairfax County police said they own and stand by the decision.
“The Fairfax County Police Department has a duty and responsibility to protect our students,” the statement said.
Police executed a search warrant at Inabinet’s home on Tuesday and found an empty gun box and several guns, including five 9mm pistols, the same type of gun used in the killing. Those guns are being processed, according to police.
Ammunition was also found, but detectives didn’t find any of same brand used in the killing, the documents said.
Inabinet appeared in D.C. Superior Court on Wednesday and entered a plea of not guilty, but the judge found probable cause for murder, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.
He is being held without bond and is due to appear at a preliminary hearing in December, the release said.
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Lewis was a musician and a devoted father to two children, ages 1 and 3, his mother told News4 in October. He was celebrating his 24th birthday when he was shot and killed.
“No parent ever wants to bury their kid, so this one right here is a major loss for me,” Lewis’ mother, Kristie Lewis Garvin, said.
This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.
