14-year-old boy charged in Howard campus homicide doesn't fit the profile of a murder suspect

The 14-year-old boy charged with killing a construction worker on Howard University’s campus doesn’t fit the profile of the repeat offenders District leaders have told the public are responsible for much of the deadly violence plaguing the city.

The July 13 death of 34-year-old Rafael Gomez was the culmination of a two-hour, early morning crime spree committed by four people including the 14-year-old boy who has been arrested, police said.

It started at 4:10 a.m. in the 1100 block of W Street SE with an armed carjacking, police said.

Five minutes later came a second armed carjacking in the 1400 block of 22nd Street SE.

An hour and a half later, the four suspects were caught on video committing and armed robbery at 55 M Street SE, police said.

Minutes later, the suspects got into a fight with Gomez later at 6th and Bryant streets on Howard’s campus, police said.

Over the past few years, District leaders, including Mayor Muriel Bowser and former police chiefs Peter Newsham and Robert Contee have said a small number of repeat offenders are responsible for the violence. Police have said the average murder suspect in D.C. has been arrested 11 times prior, and the District has spent millions on programs targeted at intervening with at-risk youth.

But those programs probably wouldn’t identify the 14-year-old boy as a possible future murder suspect. Courtroom testimony revealed the young suspect doesn’t fit that profile at all.

According to attorneys and pre-trial services, the teen got good grades in school, was a student athlete who participates in youth and work programs outside of school, has no criminal history, and has a stable home life.

While there are predictors or red flags that can alert parents, teachers and others that a young person could be heading down the wrong path, anyone could be at risk.

Police said they have identified an additional juvenile suspect but no other arrests have been made.