DC Man Gets 107 Years for Killing 13-Year-Old Boy

A Washington, D.C. man will spend the next 107 years behind bars for murdering a 13-year-old boy and wounding another victim in separate shootings earlier this year, federal prosecutors announced today.

Reginald Steele, Jr., 26, was sentenced to the lengthy prison term after being convicted of killing Malachi Lukes on March 1, 2020, and for a separate shooting in the Petworth neighborhood on February 22, 2020, U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro said.

The case shocked the District when young Lukes was gunned down in what authorities described as a senseless act of violence. The 13-year-old victim was killed in the shooting on March 1, which occurred in the Northwest section of the city.

Prosecutors said Steele also shot and wounded another victim in Petworth on February 22, just days before the fatal shooting of Lukes. The two incidents were connected through ballistic evidence and witness testimony.

Steele faced multiple charges including murder while armed and assault with intent to kill. The 107-year sentence ensures he will spend the rest of his life in federal prison for the violent crimes.

“This defendant took the life of a child and showed no regard for human life,” Pirro said in announcing the sentence. “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of these crimes and provides some measure of justice for the victims and their families.”

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