Prior Felon Sentenced to 96 Months for Shooting Over Money Dispute

WASHINGTON - Derrick Gladden, 55, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 96 months in prison today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for shooting Christopher Seward during a dispute in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.   

Gladden was found guilty by a jury on March 11, 2026, of one count each of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. In addition to the 96-month sentence, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Gladden to serve five years of supervised release.

According to the government's evidence, on April 15, 2024, at approximately 2:15 p.m., the victim was standing on the first-floor patio of his friend's apartment in the 2300 block of Marion Barry Avenue SE. Gladden, who lived in the apartment next door, saw the victim and confronted him about an ongoing dispute over money. He then pulled out a firearm and shot the victim once in the chest. The victim suffered a serious injury and almost died, however, thanks to the Whole Blood Program, which had been launched earlier that month, the victim received a blood transfusion in the ambulance and survived. In April 2025, before having a chance to testify, Seward died of cancer.  

After learning the identity of the shooter from the victim, police obtained an emergency search warrant for the defendant's residence and located ammunition that matched a casing found near the location of the shooting, along with firearms accessories and a holster. Additionally, a neighbor provided Ring camera footage showing the defendant fleeing from the front door of his apartment after the shooting.  

Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. 

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.

They also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Eliot Folsom and Natalie Anderson, who prosecuted the case.

2024 CF3 006550