A former Trump administration official, Michael Gill, was shot and killed during a carjacking spree in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. The suspect, Artell Cunningham, also killed another victim, Alberto Vasquez Jr., during the crime spree before being fatally shot by police. Gill, 56, was the first victim of the spree, and his death comes amidst a surge in carjackings in Washington. The incident has drawn attention to the increase in violent car theft in the area, with carjackings nearly doubling in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Carjackings in Washington, D.C., continue at a record-setting pace in 2024, with 56 reported so far this year, including the deadly attack on former Trump official Mike Gill. The surge follows a doubling of carjackings in 2023, with high-profile victims including U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates. Mayor Muriel Bowser has attributed the rise to a social media challenge and offered free steering wheel locks to prevent crimes. The majority of carjacking arrests involve juveniles, and the city also saw a surge in homicides in 2023.
A former Trump administration official, Mike Gill, was critically wounded in a shooting during a carjacking spree in the greater DC area. The gunman, suspected of multiple carjackings and shootings, was eventually killed by police after approaching them with two firearms. The violent spree, believed to be the work of an unhinged man suffering from a mental break, comes amid a significant increase in carjackings in the nation's capital.
