Lawmakers have slammed soaring rates of violent crime in the nation’s capital after a Trump official was killed last week during a carjacking spree.
‘Mike Gill’s death from attack by a car jacker on 14th street in downtown Washington while picking his wife up from work is one more example of why Congress needs to take back control of our national capital,’ wrote former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on Sunday, on X.
2023 was the city’s deadliest year in more than two decades with numbers going up even as violent crime dropped in nearly every other city in America.
Nearby Baltimore, famous for its crime portrayed in ‘The Wire,’ saw its biggest drop in homicides on record last year.
But 40 miles away D.C., the numbers of shootings, homicides and carjackings all soared even spilling into neighborhoods that have typically been spared such violence.
Lawmakers including former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, have slammed soaring rates of violent crime in the nation’s capital after a Trump official was killed last week during a carjacking spree
Gingrich has urged Congress to step in and attempt to help the problem
Former Trump Administration official Mike Gill died after being shot during a carjacking in Washington DC
Crimes are becoming more frequent in the downtown area of the city where officer workers frequent making longtime residents feel unsafe for the first time.
Former President Trump has promised to send in federal troops to deal with the situation.
‘I will send in the National Guard until law and order is restored. I wouldn’t even call the mayor,’ he told an audience last year.
‘Washington has become a dirty, crime ridden death trap, that must be taken over and properly run by the Federal Government,’ Trump said on his Truth Social.
Last week, the topic of crime in Washington DC came up again with Trump vowing to ‘take over our horribly run capital’ and renovate it so ‘it’s no longer a nightmare of murder and crime.’
Last week, the topic came up again with Trump vowing to ‘take over our horribly run capital’ and renovate it so ‘it’s no longer a nightmare of murder and crime.’
‘We’re going to federalize it. We’re gonna have the toughest law enforcement in the country. We’re not going to have any more crime and it’s going to look beautiful,’ Trump stated.
A former U.S. attorney appointed by George W. Bush, Brett Tolman, who is executive director of the conservative criminal justice reform group Right on Crime, has blamed Washington’s chief prosecutor not prosecuting most cases.
‘We do not need to change the law. We do not need a president coming in and using the National Guard to take over the city. All you need is a person on the job, whether Republican or Democrat, telling people they will enforce the law,’ he told NBC News.
Artell Cunningham, 28, was gunned down by police about 4.30am last Tuesday after he carjacked numerous vehicles and killed two people
This weekend it was revealed how the carjacker who shot dead former Trump Administration official Mike Gill during a nightlong crime spree was arrested over a car crash a year earlier.
Artell Cunningham, 28, was gunned down by police about 4.30am last Tuesday after he carjacked numerous vehicles and killed two people.
His first victim was Gill, a married father of three who was shot on K Street NW in Washington DC about 5.45pm last Monday and died in hospital on Saturday.
Gill served as chief operating officer of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Donald Trump‘s time in the White House.
Cunningham just 90 minutes later shot dead father-of-two Alberto Vasquez Jr, 35, in a separate carjacking nearby, then stole more cars at gunpoint.
He was killed by two New Carrollton Police officers who cornered him on the northeast outskirts of DC’s Maryland suburbs.
Former Trump Administration official Mike Gill died after being shot during a carjacking in Washington DC. He seen here with his wife and three children just two weeks earlier
Alberto Vasquez Jr, 35, (pictured with his family) was killed in a separate DC carjacking by the same shooter 90 minutes after Gill was shot
Cunningham was memorialized by his sister Atia La’Shae, who replied ‘yes, very much so’ to a friend who wrote ‘he will be missed’ on her post.
Jeffery Carroll, the assistant chief of DC police, said Cunningham had a criminal history and appeared to be going through a mental health crisis at the time.
Arrest records indicate Cunningham was arrested on April 8, 2021, for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing officers, and failing to obey police instructions.
Then on September 24, 2022, he was arrested for driving an uninsured vehicle and fleeing the scene of a car accident he was involved in.
Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb told residents concerned by the skyrocketing crime rate that his department could not ‘prosecute and arrest our way out’ of the problem.
He was speaking during Understanding Juvenile Carjacking: A Panel Discussion, that discussed a rise in violent crime that was plaguing the nation’s capital.
Schwalb said if residents wanted to be ‘safer in the long run’ they needed to focus on preventing crime, not just arresting after the fact.
‘We as a city and a community need to be much more focused on prevention and surrounding young people and their families with resources if we want to be safer in the long run,’ he said.
‘We cannot prosecute and arrest our way out of it.’
Cunningham was memorialized by his sister Atia La’Shae with this photo. She replied ‘yes, very much so’ to a friend who wrote ‘he will be missed’ on her post
Arrest records indicate Cunningham was arrested on April 8, 2021, for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstructing officers, and failing to obey police instructions
CCTV images show Cunningham, 28, who was hours later gunned down by two New Carrollton Police officers on the northeast outskirts of DC’s Maryland suburbs
The panel was chaired by Councilman Charles Allen, who is facing a recall effort in his Ward 6 seat due to rising crime in the area, and the city overall.
Schwalb’s office hit back at criticism from Republican lawmakers, insisting he was ‘laser focused’ on making DC safer but believed in a holistic solution.
This includes prosecuting juveniles and holding them accountable when they commit crimes, which we do for every serious offense where there is sufficient evidence to prove a case,’ it said.
‘Prosecution, however, by definition, takes place after a crime has occurred, and to truly make the District safer, we need to focus on stopping crime before it happens in the first place.
‘Prevention efforts cannot replace effective policing and prosecution, but are equally necessary in order to make DC safer now and in the long run.’
Another law and order official, US Attorney for DC Matthew Graves, is facing calls for impeachment from Republicans over the increased crime.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced article of impeachment to the House on May 16 last year, but it has gone nowhere since.
Greene accused him of refusing to prosecute 67 per cent of suspects arrested by DC police, but going hard on the January 6 insurrectionists.
‘The time for weaponizing the Department of Justice needs to come to an end. And because you refuse to prosecute real criminals that are violating all the crimes here in Washington DC, and you want to talk about DC residents — they are victims of your abuse of power,’ she said.
‘And because of that, I am introducing articles of impeachment on you, Mr Graves.’
Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb recently told residents concerned by the skyrocketing crime rate that his department could not ‘prosecute and arrest our way out’ of the problem
Graves explained many lower-level cases were not prosecuted, such as gun possession, drug possession, and misdemeanors, due to lack of resources.
The biggest issue was the DC Department of Forensic Sciences losing its accreditation in 2021, forcing DNA and other evidence to be sent elsewhere for processing – an expensive and time consuming effort.
Prosecutors were also ditching more cases because bodycam footage exposed a lack of evidence for the crime, or didn’t match police reports.
Graves said the vast majority of violent crime arrests were prosecuted – including 87.9 per cent of homicides, armed carjackings, assaults with intent to kill, and first-degree sexual assault cases in 2022.
Gill was the first victim of Cunningham’s campaign of terror, and just minutes later at 7.05pm he tried to carjack another motorist on 3rd Street NE, but failed.
Gill was collecting his wife, an education lawyer, when he was shot inside the car by the attacker. He stumbled outside the vehicle and collapsed.
His wife rushed over to him and held his hand as he lay bleeding on the ground with one foot still inside the car, his right hand twitching.
Then at 7.17pm, Cunningham shot Vasquez at 3rd Street and N Street and stole his car, which was later found in Takoma Park.
Cunningham committed more carjackings around DC and its suburbs, including bashing a taxi driver in the head with his gun and stealing his car in University Park in Prince George’s County, Maryland, at 11.23pm.
Then about 2.30am he shot the windscreen of a Maryland State Police trooper’s car, and about 3am sprayed the door of a DC Police officer’s car bullets as he drove past.
Gill was collecting his wife, an education lawyer, when he was shot inside the car by the attacker. He stumbled outside the vehicle and collapsed
New Carrollton Police tracked the stolen car to near a laundromat on Annapolis Road, where it was found disabled by the side of the road.
As they surveyed the scene, the Cunningham walked up to them, producing two handguns, after which he was shot and later died in hospital.
Jeffery Carroll, the assistant chief of DC police, said Cunningham had a criminal history and appeared to be going through a mental health crisis at the time.
Gill’s wife Kristina thanked family, friend, and the community for their support her husband’s sudden death as she confirmed his death.
‘His sudden departure has left a void in our lives that can never be filled,’ she said in a statement.
‘Mike was not only a devoted husband and father but also a cherished son, brother, and friend.
‘Over the course of his remarkable life, Mike brought people together and made them feel included, supported, and loved.
‘His heart was evident in everything he did, as demonstrated by his mentorship and deep friendships with those who worked with him professionally.
‘Above all, Mike spoke with pride and love about his family, especially our children, Sean, Brian, and Annika.’
Cunningham was on September 24, 2022, he was arrested for driving an uninsured vehicle and fleeing the scene of a car accident he was involved in
Gill’s work in government dates back to at least 2016, when the city of Washington appointed him to represent the GOP on their Board of Elections.
He also served as the chief of staff to CFTC chairman Christopher Giancarlo and was chief regulatory reform officer for the commission.
He served as a lawyer at a private firm and the vice president of a trade association prior to his government worked.
He was a deputy director of the 1992 Bush-Quayle re-election campaign and also worked for Republican members of the Senate and House, holding a top-level security clearance.
J Christopher Giancarlo, who was chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission when Gill worked there, also paid tribute.
‘Mike Gill was one of the most wonderful, honest, earnest, and open-hearted persons on this earth,’ he said.
‘His life reflects everything that is good and right and true. Words cannot express the tragedy of the loss of this fine man, colleague, and cherished friend. He will be sorely missed and long remembered.’
The suspect made a third unsuccessful attempt to carjack a vehicle on Third Street NE, before taking the car of a person he shot, in this case fatally
After Trump lost the 2020 election, Gill was senior vice president for capital markets at the Housing Policy Council.
Drew Maloney, Gill’s friend of 15 years and president of the American Investment Council, said he was like an extended member of their family.
‘Our daughters’ friendship blossomed into a beautiful bond, and it was a testament to Mike’s warmth and kindness that he welcomed us into his life with open arms,’ he said.
‘Through countless holidays, celebrations, and shared moments, our families became intertwined, and I am so grateful for our enduring friendship.’
Jacob Walker, Vasquez’s father, said his son just tuned 35 and now ‘his daughters will never get that chance to talk to him again. No weddings, no nothing’.
He said he ‘never had expectations that I would be … having to bury my child over something as senseless as a carjacking’.
‘What do we do? Where do we go, you know? He didn’t have to die. He didn’t have to die. He didn’t deserve to die. Not like this,’ he said.
