Kelby Gordon, 32, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, and related firearms offenses for killing an innocent bystander and firing into an occupied bedroom during a broad-daylight shooting in Southeast Washington,
The verdict was announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu, Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Nancy McNamara, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Gordon was found guilty on July 23, 2018, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 21, 2018, by the Honorable Milton C. Lee.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 24, 2016, at approximately 11:15 a.m., the victim, Gabriel Turner, was walking in a cut-through behind the 2600 block of Birney Place SE, headed to a nearby bus stop.
Mr. Turner, 46, who had intellectual disabilities and who was working at the FBI as a janitor, had just finished having breakfast with his mother – as he had every morning.
Gordon, meanwhile, was in the area and, after seeing another man pull out a large amount of money, decided to rob that man near the mouth of the cut-through.
However, as Gordon attempted to rob the man, the man began to pull out his own firearm.
Gordon, in his own words, gave the man no chance, and pulled his gun out first.
The two men began running down the cut-through behind Mr. Turner.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Turner, Gordon planted his feet and began firing towards the man, who fled in the same direction that Mr. Turner was walking.
The man who Gordon was targeting weaved around Mr. Turner and escaped, but a single bullet struck Mr. Turner in the upper back as he ducked.
The bullet lodged itself in Mr. Turner’s sinus – killing him almost instantly.
Two other bullets flew into an occupied apartment across the street, just missing the head of a second victim as he returned to bed.
There were three surveillance videos that led to the arrest of the defendant, one of which shows Turner walking on the sidewalk of 2642 Birney Place, SE, and an unidentified subject walking behind him.
Then, the suspect, later identified by police, shot in the direction of the subject and continued to shoot as he runs past Turner.
Turner collapsed to the ground, then both the suspect and the subject run off.
(Learn More. Courtesy of DCW News. Posted on Apr 19, 2016.)
Detective Thomas O’Donnell contacted a Metropolitan Police Department member, who watched the video and identified the suspect.
The detective received an anonymous tip that the suspects name was Kelby Ronald Gordon.
The MPD member received a photo of Gordon via email from Det. O’Donnell and identified the man in the photo.
An investigation led to Gordon’s arrest on April 17, 2016, by the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Liu, Chief Newsham, and Assistant Director in Charge McNamara commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), as well as the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team, which helped identify Mr. Turner’s assailant.
They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States Park Police, the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, and the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.
They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including:
- Victim/Witness Service Coordinators La June Thames and Katina Adams-Washington
- Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark
- Administrative Services Specialist Sallie Rynas
- Forensic Operation/Program Specialist Benjamin Kagan-Guthrie
- Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin
- Criminal Investigator John Marsh
- Paralegal Specialists Lornce Applewhite and Jeffrey Bloom
- Litigation Technology Specialist Thomas “Ron” Royal, and
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Miller, who initially investigated the case
