Fairfax County

‘Senseless': Man, 24, Killed Outside Family's New Carrollton Home

A 24-year-old man died Monday after he was shot at close range outside his family's home in New Carrollton, Maryland. 

Desmond "D.J." Burns was found with a gunshot wound to the head on the 5300 block of 85th Avenue, about a half-mile from the New Carrollton Metro station.

"He’s only 24. He haven’t even lived his life, and to be shot, cold in the back of his head. Senseless," Burns' heartbroken father, Darryl Gibson, said through tears. 

Burns worked for years as head chef and trainer at a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Fairfax County, and had been an award-winning football player at DuVal High School in Lanham. 

The staff at the restaurant is shocked, manager Travis Larkins said. 

“It’s tragic, and our staff and myself and even our corporate offices are at loss for this young man to lose it. It’s so senseless and everyone’s hurt," he said. 

Gibson ordered his son's killer or killers to come forward. 

"These guys, with their cold-hearted-ass self, they should come up and speak up for it, because God is going to get you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart," Gibson said. 

"Me and my wife have to bury my son next week," he continued, beginning to cry. "We got to bury him and I don’t have an inkling of what I can say to his sister, what I can say to his nephews."

Burns received a phone call, went outside to the apartment complex’s mailbox stand and he was ambushed there. 

New Carrollton Police were called to the area outside Burns' family's garden apartment building about 7:45 p.m. 

When officers arrived, they found Burns wounded. Life-saving measures failed, and he died. 

A memorial for Burns, made of balloons and flowers, was placed at the mailboxes. 

Prince George's County police are working to identify a suspect and possible motive.

This is the first homicide in New Carrollton since last year.

Anyone with additional information on the case is asked to call 301-772-4925. Anonymous information can be submitted by calling 1-866-411-TIPS. A reward up to $25,000 is offered.

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