Rodney Baggott, 58, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced on Mar. 17 to life in prison without the possibility of release for the fatal road rage shooting of Uber Eats driver Rasheek Abdullah near the Dupont Circle Metro Station, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about violent crime and repeat offenders in Washington, D.C. The sentencing follows a conviction that stemmed from a January 2024 incident resulting in Abdullah’s death after months of declining health.
A federal jury found Baggott guilty on July 24 of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Baggott became enraged after believing Abdullah had cut him off while driving near Connecticut Avenue and Q Street Northwest. He then pulled up next to Abdullah and shot him in the neck before fleeing with his girlfriend.
Baggott’s girlfriend later contacted an auto body repair shop to fix damage on their vehicle, which was later used by police to link Baggott to the shooting. On March 2, 2024, police stopped Baggott and arrested him for illegally possessing a gun. The following day, law enforcement recovered the firearm used in the shooting from his girlfriend’s apartment; DNA evidence linked both individuals to the weapon.
Abdullah became quadriplegic as a result of the shooting and died three months later on April 29, 2024. Baggott had previously been convicted for voluntary manslaughter while armed in 2015.
U.S. Attorney Pirro said: “Today, a Washington, D.C., judge recognized the enormous harm a career criminal poses to our community. Rodney Baggott—a previously convicted killer—took another man’s life in a senseless act of violence for nothing more than passing him on the road. Today’s sentence ensures this violent offender, who has shown complete disregard for the lives of others, is off our streets and behind bars where he belongs. We need more sentences like this to stop violence in D.C.”
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and Metropolitan Police Department.