Washington D.C. native Traquon Demonte McCalip, 21, has been sentenced to 114 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated assault while armed. Judge Amit P. Mehta also mandated a subsequent five years of supervised release following McCalip's incarceration, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Details from court documents indicate that on March 20, 2024, McCalip engaged in a confrontation that escalated into violence in a fast-food restaurant's parking lot situated on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. After a dispute over the price of cigarettes, the situation turned life-threatening when McCalip shot the victim in the abdomen and fled the scene, only to be pursued and apprehended by police near 1805 Bladensburg Road NE. In the aftermath of the incident, officers were able to recover the firearm's magazine and ammunition from the vehicle McCalip used in his escape.
The severity of McCalip's sentence reflects his status as a repeat offender and highlights the collaboration between several agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI's Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, to address gun violence in the nation's capital. U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan, and MPD Chief Pamela Smith all played roles in the announcement of the sentence.
