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Washington, D.C., recently experienced a profound tragedy involving a former Trump administration official. Michael Gill, once the backbone of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as its chief of staff, died following a violent carjacking incident in the city, according to a recent report.
On the fateful evening, Gill was in his car, parked on K Street NW just around 5:45 p.m. Suddenly, an assailant intruded into his vehicle, resulting in the tragic shooting. Gill’s long-held service to his country ended abruptly on that 900 block of K Street.
Artell Cunningham, a 28-year-old man, has been identified by the police as the alleged perpetrator. In the wake of the attack on Gill, Cunningham significantly escalated his criminal activities, targeting another vehicle within an hour, law enforcement officials disclosed.
His attempted theft did not end with that one car. He advanced towards bystanders, generating fear and demanding their car keys. Among his targets was Alberto Vasquez, Jr., 35, whom Cunningham allegedly killed during his carjacking attempts at the intersection of 3rd and N Streets Northeast.
DC Board of Elections statement on former board member Michael Gill, shot to death in a violent carjacking on K Street NW last week. pic.twitter.com/8tl4RdLXdg
— Tom Sherwood (@tomsherwood) February 4, 2024
A swift response from law enforcement officers ensued. Cunningham was ultimately shot and killed by them, bringing an end to the carjacking incidents on that particular night.
Mike Gill’s wife, Kristina, delivered the heart-wrenching news of her husband’s passing to the wider community through a statement to FOX 5 DC. ‘It is with profound sadness that I wish to inform the community of the passing of my husband, Mike Gill’ she announced. She further expressed how his sudden death has created an irreplaceable void in their family’s life.
Kristina appreciated the outpouring of love and support they received during this grueling time, saying, ‘We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the community, and extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has reached out to offer condolences and assistance.’
Former CFTC chairman, Christopher Giancarlo, eulogized Gill as a man characterized by his wonderful, honest, earnest, and open-hearted nature. The loss of such a fine colleague and friend, Giancarlo said, brought an unfathomable tragedy that would long be remembered in the heart of every member of the CFTC.
This incident is not an isolated one. Increased occurrences of carjacking in the nation’s capital have been noted. Further exacerbating the situation is the concern and frustration of the citizenry regarding the public safety situation in their city.
In October, evidence of the escalating carjacking problem came when Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, was himself a victim of such a crime at gunpoint. The city’s crime statistics have been growing startlingly.
As observed and reported by the D.C. police, from January to November 2023, 250 homicides were committed across the city, marking a high not witnessed since 2003. Simultaneously, there were about 908 documented instances of carjackings, and shockingly, nearly 77% of these involved firearms.
Returning to the incident involving Mike Gill, it took place near the White House on K Street while he was waiting for his wife who works as an education lawyer. The assailant covertly entered Gill’s stationary vehicle, shot him, and then proceeded to flee on foot.
Gill, injured and in shock, fell out of his vehicle onto the pavement. According to The Washington Post, he had called his wife saying, ‘Hey, I’m downstairs’ and when she saw him from the ground floor window, she saw her husband shot.
In a state of horror, Kristina saw her husband laying on the street, responding to her desperate call and saying, ‘Oh my God, that’s my husband.’ Yolanda Douglas, a witness cited by The Post, detailed that Kristina sprinted towards her wounded husband and held his hand, futilely hoping for a response.
Douglas described the gruesome scene with Gill sprawled out on the pavement, blood pooling around his head. He was still dressed in his work attire, his right hand twitching eerily.
About an hour after the Gill incident, the assailant made further headlines for another unsuccessful vehicle theft on Third Street NE. To the horror of all, the suspect killed another individual on the street before successfully making away with their car.
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