'It was miserable,' says mass shooting victim

By Sofia Feigelson and Sonia Vazquez – July 5, 2024
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shootings | Suspects | Victims |

A mass shooting victim who was shot in the face needed jaw reconstruction surgery and a feeding tube to survive, testified before D.C. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on July 3.

Mark Price, 29, and Antonio Murchison, 31, are charged with first-degree murder while armed, five counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, knowingly aggravated assault while armed, seven counts of possession of a firearm during a violent crime, conspiracy and seven counts of criminal gang affiliation.

The charges stem from their alleged involvement in a mass shooting that occurred on July 16, 2018, in the 5300 block of 53rd Street, NE, in the Clay Terrace neighborhood. The incident left one person, 10-year-old Makiyah Wilson, dead and four others injured by gunfire.

The third co-defendant, Quanisha Ramsuer, 31, is charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the homicide.

During the hearing, the prosecutor cited a victim who recalled the events and the consequences of being shot once in the face and twice in the leg.

The victim said he was a longtime resident of Clay Terrace and was on the porch of Wilson's home, who was friends with his daughter, when the shooting occurred. He said Wilson, Wilson's older sister, and men were also present.

“Of course, when I saw Makiyah, I wasn't trying to stay there, I was trying to leave,” the victim said, referring to the severity of Wilson's condition in the midst of the shooting.

He remembers hearing gunshots and falling face down shortly after.

“I thought I was dead,” the victim said, referring to the “white sheet” that had been placed over him as he lay on the ground. He recalled a girl holding his hand and telling him he was alive but unable to speak and barely able to breathe, blood flowing with every breath.

Describing the breathing difficulties and pain he felt, he said: “It was miserable.”

“I didn't even know where I was hit. I thought I was shot in the head,” the victim said.

After the shooting, the victim testified that she remembered waking up at the University of Maryland Trauma Center with tubes in her nose and throat, saying she had arrived by helicopter after being admitted to another hospital, but admitted she did not remember the events.

As a result of his injuries, his jaw was reconstructed, his entire row of lower teeth was missing and he had to receive dental implants as replacements.

He also said that due to the severity of his injuries, the recovery process took months, including physical therapy and relearning how to speak.

Asked by the prosecutor about the scars caused by the gunshots, the victim said he had scars on his lower face and neck area, admitting: “I usually leave them [my beard] “I'm going to push it more because I don't like seeing the scars.”

Prosecutors showed photographs of the victim's raw, untreated injuries before surgery, including the victim's bloodied face and leg injuries.

After the victim's testimony, the prosecution called in a maxillofacial surgeon who performed a reconstruction of the victim's head and neck.

The surgeon said the victim suffered a gunshot wound that passed through his cheek and lower jaw, causing the lower jaw bone to shatter, his lip to crack, his teeth to shift and his tongue to freeze to the back of his mouth.

According to the surgeon, based on his experience treating gunshot victims, it was likely a larger caliber bullet fired at a higher velocity due to the extent of the victim's injuries.

The surgeon said he performed several complex procedures, including a tracheotomy to place a breathing tube in his neck.

During one operation, she borrowed part of the victim's leg bone to create part of her new jaw, to help rebuild the floor of her mouth.

According to the surgeon, if the victim's jaw was not reconstructed and she did not undergo additional surgical repairs, her speech and ability to swallow would be severely affected and she would be dependent on a feeding tube.

The prosecution called additional witnesses who testified about a Dec. 22, 2017, shooting near the intersection of 53rd and E Streets SE, in which Price was allegedly shot in the foot.

Photographs taken that day showing Price lying in a hospital bed with a bloody face were shown to the jury.

A former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer testified that he arrived at the residence where Price was sitting on a couch on December 22, 2017. According to the officer, Price suffered bloody injuries to his foot and face. However, the officer testified that Price told him he had fallen.

Prosecutors played footage from the officer's body camera that showed a man, identified as Price, lying on a couch inside a home with injuries to his foot and face.

In addition, the prosecution called to the stand a person who testified about a shooting that occurred on December 22.

He described a “loud noise” while he was at his home and observed an individual with an electric scooter on the ground in front of a fence. According to the witness, the individual was trying to pick the scooter up off the ground.

Subsequently, the passerby reported seeing a vehicle approach the individual with the scooter and an individual inside the car “immediately” began shooting at the individual with the scooter.

According to the witness, three individuals fired shots and, when several shots were fired, the intended victim fled the scene.

The trial is scheduled to resume on July 8.

Follow this case