Prison Sentence Handed Down to Man Who Shot Teen in a Domestic Dispute

Press Release

Defendant Who is Ten Years Older, Shot Victim Who Met Him to Return Shoes

WASHINGTON - Deangelo Wooten, 27, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, for shooting a minor in January 2024, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Wooten pleaded guilty on July 19, 2024, to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Today, Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced Wooten to eight years in prison for the aggravated assault while armed charge, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Demeo also sentenced Wooten to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, to run concurrently.

According to the governments evidence, in January 2024, the victim, who was 16-years-old at the time, was in a dating relationship with Wooten, who was 26-years-old at the time. On January 20, 2024, the defendant sent several text messages to the victim, stating "Imma shoot you dead in your face" and "On dior when I see you imma kill you." Initially, the victim thought the defendant was making these statements to get a reaction from her. The defendant then texted her and asked if they could meet for her to give him his shoes. The victim agreed and went with two others to meet Wooten at 13^th Street and Congress Street SE, to give the defendant his shoes.

At around 1:00 p.m., the victim and her friend arrived and waited in a car at the location. Shortly thereafter the defendant drove up in a blue car. Wooten jumped out of the blue car and approached the victim, who was sitting in the back seat of her friend's car. Wooten took the shoes from the victim with one hand, produced a gun in the other hand pointing it at the victim's head, and fired while standing within arm's length of the victim. The victim, anticipating the shot, raised her arm to protect her head, and the bullet entered and exited her arm and grazed her back. The defendant walked away, got back in his vehicle and drove off. The victim began to bleed and the other two people in the vehicle drove her to the hospital, where she received treatment.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Roessler, who prosecuted the case.

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Updated October 4, 2024