Maryland man sentenced to 23 years in prison for fatal 2022 shooting on Dupont Circle church steps

Lina PortmanMay 26, 2024

0 1 minute read

A Montgomery County, Maryland man was sentenced to 23 years in prison for a Memorial Day 2022 shooting death that took place on the steps of a DC church.

In a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C., prosecutors said James Jackson, 30, of Silver Spring, pleaded guilty in February to one count of second-degree murder while armed .

D.C. police were called to the 1700 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW in the Dupont Circle neighborhood around 4:30 p.m. on May 30, 2022, for reports of shots fired, prosecutors said. When officers arrived, they found Christian Monje, 29, of Fairfax, Virginia, on the steps of St. Matthew's Cathedral suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

Monje died from his injuries a few weeks later, prosecutors said.

Surveillance footage from nearby cameras showed an individual approaching Monje, who was sitting on the steps of the church, prosecutors said. The footage also showed the individual fleeing into a nearby alley and hiding behind a dumpster.

During their search of the dumpster area, detectives found a 9mm Polymer80 “ghost gun” – an illegal firearm with no serial number which therefore cannot be traced – which was later determined to be being the murder weapon, prosecutors said.

Even though surveillance footage and the murder weapon were recovered, the case remained unsolved without a suspect for months, prosecutors said.

Then detectives received an answer thanks to a DNA profile taken from the murder weapon. DNA on the gun matched a profile submitted by the Maryland State Police Forensic Sciences Division, linked to a previous arrest of Jackson.

Using DNA and cell site evidence, prosecutors said detectives were able to confirm Jackson's identity and made his arrest.

Get the latest news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.