A Fourth of July celebration turned tragic last year has culminated in a 20-year prison sentence for a D.C. man. Brandon Smith, 38, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to second degree murder while armed in the death of Charles Stanton, 43, also from Washington, D.C. The sentence, announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department, was handed down by Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo and includes a subsequent five-year period of supervised release, and a requirement for Smith to register as a gun offender.
The fatal incident took place on July 4, 2023, when Stanton was shot multiple times in the unit bloc of Patterson Street, Northeast. Despite emergency responses, Stanton was pronounced dead by 4:40pm., according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The police reported no weapons were found on or near the victim, highlighting the defenseless state in which Stanton was left as Smith continued to shoot.
Smith's guilty plea came on February 4, 2024, following an investigation that included reviewing surveillance video. This footage revealed Smith's vehicle near the scene before the shooting, and showed the victim interacting with another individual before riding toward Smith's car. It was this visual evidence that depicted the grim sequence of events, with Smith retrieving a handgun and firing at Stanton, who attempted to flee on his bicycle.
Evidence from the surveillance video allowed detectives to identify Smith's car and, subsequently, led to his capture and arrest. The case was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke and investigated by the MPD’s Homicide Branch. Details revealed in the case have underscored the impact of gun violence in the community, with repercussions that extend far beyond the individuals directly involved.
