Family members gathered at the corner of 18th Street and Minnesota Avenue SE this weekend, releasing doves into the air on the exact anniversary of the night 23-year-old Brandon Gant was shot inside his own car. Three years later, no one has been arrested. The case remains open, and his mother is still asking the same question she's been asking since 2023: who did this to my son?
Gant was found suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds around 3:29 a.m. on September 6, 2023, after Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to reports of gunshots and a vehicle collision at the intersection, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries two days later, on September 8, 2023. Gant's homicide remains unsolved. As FOX 5 DC reports, his family is seeking information about his death.
A month after the shooting, MPD's Homicide Branch released surveillance footage showing a suspect vehicle fleeing the scene, appealing to the community for help identifying it. The department has said it is still offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction, with tips accepted confidentially by phone or text.
A Mother's Monthly Walks Through the Neighborhood
Gant's mother, Toloria Gant, told WUSA9 in a September 2025 interview that her son was ambushed while running late-night errands for her. She has since led monthly community walks urging witnesses to come forward, and the family has been firm that Gant was not involved in any criminal activity. This weekend's vigil, rally, and dove release were organized with support from local Advisory Neighborhood Commission leadership, according to ANC 8A01, marking the third anniversary of the crime with public advocacy that has continued largely unbroken since the murder.
Neighborhood leaders have also supported Gant's family.
A Case Frozen in a Year DC Is Trying to Leave Behind
Gant was killed in 2023. No citywide homicide totals or clearance-rate figures are included here for 2023, 2024 or 2025.
Gant's case remains unsolved.
Part of the challenge may be structural. This account does not include MPD staffing figures or assess the department's capacity for cold-case investigations.
For now, the open questions that mattered on day one still matter today: whether the suspect vehicle captured on camera back in October 2023 has ever led investigators to a name, and whether someone who saw something that night is finally ready to call in a tip. MPD's reward line remains active for anyone with information on Gant's death or any other unsolved DC homicide.
