WASHINGTON, D.C. – Detectives from the Washington, D.C. Metro Police Department have announced a significant breakthrough in the investigation of two homicides that occurred in the District.
The first incident unfolded on Thursday, February 18, 2021, around 3:13 p.m. Officers responded to the 1000 block of Thomas Jefferson Street in Northwest, D.C., following a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, officers discovered an adult male victim with a gunshot wound. Despite the immediate response from DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services and transportation to an area hospital, all life-saving efforts proved futile, and the victim, identified as 30-year-old Youness Zarouaki from Alexandria, VA, was pronounced dead.
The second tragic event took place on Thursday, July 16, 2020, at approximately 10:11 p.m. Police were dispatched to the 400 block of 33rd Street in Southeast, D.C., in response to another shooting report. Inside a residential building, officers located an adult male victim suffering from gunshot wounds. Similar to the previous case, despite the tireless efforts of DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services and transport to an area hospital, the victim, identified as 34-year-old Kenneth Brown from Southeast, DC, succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into these two incidents took a significant turn on Thursday, September 14, 2023, when members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fugitive Unit executed an arrest warrant issued by the DC Superior Court. They took custody of 29-year-old Michael Sanders, a resident of Northwest, DC. Sanders now faces two charges of First Degree Murder While Armed.