The Metropolitan Police Department has taken another suspect into custody in relation to the shooting death of 28-year-old Kenneth Barksdale Jr., a case that sent ripples through the Southeast DC community when it occurred last year. Barksdale fell victim to fatal gunshot wounds on December 16, 2023, and now, months later, the police effort to close the case continues with new developments.
According to an official statement from the MPD, at around 8:07 p.m., the sixth district officers were summoned to the scene at the 1200 block of 44th Place, Southeast, after reports of gunfire. There they discovered Barksdale, who was subsequently pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital. The extended inquiry led by the MPD and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force has resulted in two arrests over the past two days, adding significant developments to the case.
Yesterday, Eric Sheffield, a 19-year-old resident of Northeast DC, was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder While Armed-Felony Murder. The legal process against Sheffield moved forward with a DC Superior Court arrest warrant that the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force executed. Sheffield now awaits further legal proceedings alongside his alleged accomplice, apprehended the day before him. The first suspect, an unnamed 18-year-old male from Southeast, DC, was arrested on Wednesday under a similar charge.
