A 22-year-old Baltimore man has been found guilty of first-degree felony murder while armed in Washington DC.
Ethan Cunningham was convicted by a Superior Court jury of two counts of felony murder while armed, and related charges stemming from a May 2022 shooting of James Lee Curtis, a 40-year-old unarmed man.
The jury also found Cunningham guilty of one count of first-degree burglary while armed, one count of attempted robbery while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, five counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of carrying a pistol without a license, and one count of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on May 10, 2022, the victim, James Lee Curtis, was coming home from getting dinner and picking up his roommate.
Curtis was followed into his apartment building by Cunningham and an associate, who brandished a 9mm firearm with an extended magazine and repeatedly assaulted him, demanding he open his apartment door.
When Curtis refused to open the door, the defendant continued assaulting him throughout the basement area of the apartment building until Curtis’s roommate tried to intervene.
The defendant then began shooting, striking Curtis once, and striking his roommate’s backpack.
The defendant then stood over the roommate who had fallen to the ground and threatened to shoot him before fleeing the building.
Curtis died from his injuries shortly thereafter.
The defendant was arrested on May 30, 2022 and has remained detained since that date.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Natalie Hynum.
Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for March 28, 2025.
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Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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