WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Northeast DC man has been charged with murder more than two years after a Kenilworth Avenue shooting left a 46-year-old man critically wounded and ultimately led to his death, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.
Rodney Whiting, 20, was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in the death of Sean Crawford of Hyattsville, Maryland. Members of MPD’s Fugitive Unit responded to the DC Jail and charged Whiting pursuant to a DC Superior Court booking order.
The case dates to April 4, 2024, when Sixth District officers responded to gunfire in the 700 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE at approximately 4:06 p.m. Crawford was found conscious and breathing with a gunshot wound and was transported to a hospital in critical but stable condition.
Key Points
- Rodney Whiting, 20, of Northeast DC was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in Sean Crawford’s death.
- Crawford was shot on Kenilworth Avenue NE in April 2024 and survived the initial shooting.
- Crawford died in January 2025, and the medical examiner determined his death resulted from complications caused by the gunshot wound.
Shooting Victim Died Months Later
Crawford survived for more than nine months after the Kenilworth Avenue shooting.
He was pronounced dead in Hyattsville on Jan. 19, 2025. The Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently determined that the death was connected to the injuries Crawford suffered in the 2024 shooting.
According to MPD, the medical examiner found Crawford died from a “pulmonary thromboembolism” resulting from paraplegia caused by a gunshot wound to the torso. His manner of death was ruled a homicide.
That medical determination connected Crawford’s eventual death to the gunshot wound sustained months earlier.
Murder Charge Filed More Than Two Years After Shooting
The investigation culminated Tuesday when MPD announced Whiting had been charged with second-degree murder.
Police said members of the department’s Fugitive Unit went to the DC Jail pursuant to a DC Superior Court booking order. Whiting was then charged in Crawford’s homicide.
MPD’s announcement did not provide additional details about what allegedly led to the April 2024 shooting or describe a relationship between Whiting and Crawford.
The murder charge is an accusation. Whiting is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Who was charged in Sean Crawford’s death?
MPD said Rodney Whiting, 20, of Northeast DC was charged with second-degree murder on Sept. 1.
When was Sean Crawford shot?
Crawford was shot April 4, 2024, in the 700 block of Kenilworth Avenue NE. He survived the initial shooting but died Jan. 19, 2025.
Why was Crawford’s death ruled a homicide?
The Maryland medical examiner determined Crawford died from a pulmonary thromboembolism resulting from paraplegia caused by the gunshot wound to his torso.
Sources: Metropolitan Police Department homicide arrest announcement, Sept. 1, 2026; Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner findings as quoted by MPD.
