Ronnell Offutt, a 36-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury on four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed—one involving a minor victim—in connection with a rush-hour shooting at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Minnesota Avenue, Southeast. The incident occurred on February 4, 2019, when Offutt fired into a crowded bus stop in retaliation for an earlier assault against him.
Offutt was also convicted on four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The verdict was delivered on September 26, 2025, following proceedings in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2025, before Judge Danya A. Dayson.
“This is yet another case of uncontrolled violence on the streets of DC,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “My office will continue to fight to prosecute and convict those who think vigilante justice is the answer to their personal disputes.”
Evidence presented at trial showed that after being assaulted and having his car vandalized around 4:15 p.m., Offutt declined police assistance and left the scene. Cell phone data later placed him back at the same location about an hour afterward. Surveillance footage captured Offutt returning with a firearm and opening fire into the crowd at the bus stop.
The shooting resulted in injuries to four people: a five-year-old girl who was shot in the arm; one adult male shot through the chest; another adult male shot twice; and another man wounded in the thigh. All victims survived but sustained lasting scars.
Investigators used cell location data, eyewitness testimony, video evidence, ballistics analysis, and DNA testing to link Offutt to the crime. An off-duty Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) commander had taken photographs of Offutt and his vehicle prior to the shooting. Images from an eyewitness matched Offutt’s appearance as recorded by police earlier that day.
Chief Pamela Smith of MPD joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the verdict. The case was investigated by MPD and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Comber and Michael Roberts.
