A D.C. firefighter was shot and killed early Monday in his neighborhood in Bryans Road, Maryland.
Firefighter/EMT Carl Braxton was the victim, a source within DC Fire and EMS said. He was 30 and lived with his girlfriend, a fellow firefighter, with whom he shared two young sons.
Braxton’s uncle called him family-oriented.
“I can’t even fathom in my mind, ‘cause he’s never been in any trouble. Just a great young guy. Just had a birthday,” Frankie Braxton said.
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Neighbors told News4 they saw what appeared to be a domestic dispute between a man and a woman. Another man went by walking his dog, they said. That man was armed. The rest of what unfolded is under investigation.
One neighbor said she was awakened by gunshots and then heard a woman wailing and sobbing.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office later said Braxton assaulted his girlfriend before a fatal confrontation with an armed man. Deputies collected evidence for hours.
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Braxton was an eight-year veteran of DC Fire and EMS and served at Engine Company 22 in Shepherd Park. He joined the department as part of Cadet Class 17 and graduated in April 2015.
“Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues,” Chief John Donnelly said in a statement.
The department will provide mental health support to any personnel who need it, they said.
Neighbors said they were stunned by what had happened in their quiet community.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
