Two Washington teenagers are headed to prison after a daytime shooting near Dunbar High School that sent bullets into classrooms and grazed a student’s head. On July 16, 2026, a D.C. Superior Court judge sentenced each of them to five years in prison and two years of supervised probation, wrapping up months of hearings and plea negotiations tied to the May 3, 2024 incident.
Pleas and sentence
As reported by WUSA9, Saki Frost and Azhari Graves both took plea deals that resulted in identical sentences: five-year prison terms followed by two years of supervised probation. The case drew intense local attention because the gunfire reached classrooms while school was in session, turning an ordinary day at Dunbar High into a crime scene.
Prosecutors' account
In a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said both Frost and Graves pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon and carrying a pistol without a license. Prosecutors noted that Frost, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was charged as an adult under Title 16.
According to the government, the pair opened fire on a sedan on the 1200 block of Kirby Street NW. Investigators recovered 29 shell casings at the scene and documented bullet fragments and at least six bullet strikes on the N Street side of the school, evidence that the crossfire spilled into the educational space next door.
Arrests and classroom aftermath
The Metropolitan Police Department said officers located the vehicle used by the defendants and arrested them later that same day. The criminal case moved quickly at first, in no small part because of how close the gunfire came to students.
The Washington Post reported that a teacher and a coach rushed to help the student who was grazed in the head. The wound did not require surgery, but the scare left classmates and parents rattled, with a seemingly random burst of violence landing just inches from tragedy.
Court timeline and delays
The U.S. Attorney’s Office first announced the guilty pleas in December 2025 and initially scheduled sentencing for March 20, 2026. That hearing did not happen as planned. Prosecutors told the court they needed more time to review materials, leading to at least one postponement.
Court observers later noted a last-minute rescheduling in April and another continuance before the July sentencing finally went forward, as detailed by DC Witness.
Legal note
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, both defendants are required to register as gun offenders as part of their sentences, a designation that can carry long-term collateral consequences long after they leave prison. The case, handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Major Crimes Section, highlights prosecutors’ willingness to pursue adult charges in serious shootings that involve teenagers.
Community impact
Bullets slamming into classrooms while a student sat in class was enough to stop parents and neighbors in their tracks and, as The Washington Post noted, “struck a public nerve” about safety near schools. City and school officials did not immediately comment on the sentences, but the case is likely to stick in the broader debate over school-area safety and youth violence prevention in Northwest D.C.
.jpg){kind=link}