Six people have been sentenced in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for their roles in a triple homicide that took place during Labor Day weekend on September 4, 2021. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, announced that Erwin Dubose, Kamar Queen, and William Johnson Lee—all from Washington, D.C.—received sentences exceeding 100 years each for their involvement as shooters in the incident. Specifically, Dubose was sentenced to 123 years, Queen to 120 years, and Johnson Lee to 105 years.
Damonta Thompson received a sentence of 35 years for his role in driving co-defendants to and from the scene and participating in the conspiracy. Mussay Rezene was sentenced to three years after being convicted as an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder while armed and tampering with physical evidence. Toyia Johnson of Rockville, Maryland was sentenced to 24 months—with execution suspended—for being an accessory after the fact to assault with a dangerous weapon and tampering with evidence.
A jury had found Dubose, Queen, Johnson Lee, and Thompson guilty on July 3, 2025 of charges including conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, three counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Johnson was found guilty of tampering with physical evidence and acting as an accessory after the fact to assault with intent to kill while armed; Rezene was found guilty on similar charges related to first-degree murder.
According to government evidence presented at trial, on September 4, 2021 at approximately 7:33 p.m., Thompson drove Dubose, Queen, and Johnson Lee to Longfellow Street NW where they opened fire into a neighborhood gathering before fleeing in Thompson’s vehicle. Three people—Donetta Dyson (31), Keenan Braxton (24), and Johnny Joyner (37)—were killed; three others were injured but survived.
Afterwards, Toyia Johnson—who had rented the getaway vehicle—made multiple false reports about it being stolen by calling 911 several times. Later that night on September 6th, Dubose and Rezene set fire to the car used during the crime. Evidence indicated that this triple homicide was carried out in retaliation for another shooting that occurred about an hour earlier.
Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing these sentences. “In announcing the sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith together,”we commend the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.” They also recognized Assistant United States Attorneys Colleen Kukowski and Charles R. Jones for prosecuting this case.
