A Maryland man, Jayvon Thomas, with ties to a recent DC murder, has been charged after a 4-year-old girl reportedly shot herself using a firearm that he allegedly left unsecured. According to a report by WUSA9, authorities said the child found the loaded ghost gun under a bed during a game of hide-and-seek on Sunday night and shot herself in the arm. Prince George's County Police Chief Malik Aziz, highlighting the gravity of the incident, stated, "A 4-year-old girl shot themselves. It’s something they don’t understand -- it’s just a toy. As you can imagine that girl will need some TLC."
Held without bond as the judge labeled him "dangerous," Thomas was previous charged with murder in connection to the death of Anwar Wingate, a professional boxer who was killed in a D.C. parking garage in November 2023. Thomas and another man, 19-year-old Lavar Hunter, were accused of robbing and killing Wingate, as noted in a briefing from DC News Now. Despite pleading "not guilty" in January, Thomas was released to home confinement in April, wearing an ankle monitor.
Different outcomes in bond hearings have characterized Thomas' interaction with the judicial system. While he was released on home confinement in D.C. on the grounds that he is young, has two children, and has deep ties to the community, the Prince George's County Court rejected his public defender's similar plea. In respect to the shooting incident, "A 4-year-old could be deceased," told Police Chief Malik Aziz to WUSA9, emphasizing the severity of Thomas' actions.
The recent firearm incident has shed further light on Thomas' January murder charge. Thomas and Hunter pleaded "not guilty" to the charges concerning Wingate's death, a man whose rising career in boxing was cut short tragically. Charged also in the case of leaving the ghost gun that a child accidentally shot herself with, the judge's decision to hold Thomas without bond reflects a stance on community safety, as reported by WJLA. The incident underscores the continual conversation around firearm responsibility and public safety.
