(NewsNation) — Former Trump administration official Mike Gill died after being shot in an tried carjacking in downtown Washington, D.C., earlier this week, his spouse, Kristina Gill confirmed.
“Mike was not solely a loyal husband and father but additionally a cherished son, brother, and pal. Over the course of his exceptional life, Mike introduced folks collectively and made them really feel included, supported, and cherished,” Kristina Gill wrote in a press release.
Gill, 53, a father of three who labored on the U.S. Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee throughout former President Trump’s White Home tenure, was shot Monday night time whereas inside a automotive on the 900 block of Ok Avenue NW, in line with Erica Richardson, a spokesperson for the Gill household.
The D.C. Metropolitan Police Division (MPD), which didn’t launch the identify of the carjacking sufferer, mentioned a suspect approached the parked automobile shortly earlier than 6 p.m. Monday, obtained contained in the automotive and shot the motive force earlier than later exiting.
The suspect fled on foot and unsuccessfully tried to carjack one other particular person round 7 p.m. on the intersection of Fifth and Ok Streets NW, police mentioned. The sufferer reportedly fled the scene and known as police.
About 10 minutes later, the suspect approached one other man and girl of their automotive in Northeast D.C. and demanded the keys earlier than capturing the person and fleeing the scene within the automotive, in line with police. The person later died on the hospital, police mentioned.
That automotive was later present in Maryland’s Prince George’s County, the place police say the suspect tried two different carjackings. At round 3 a.m. Tuesday, police mentioned the suspect was driving one of many carjacked automobiles on the freeway and shot at a police cruiser.
Officers with the New Carrollton Police Division in Maryland later encountered the suspect, who produced two handguns. Two officers shot at and struck the suspect, who was taken into custody and later died on the hospital, native officers mentioned in a press convention.
This comes as federal prosecutors are “surgically concentrating on” violent offenders, together with carjackers in Washington, D.C., to curb gun violence and different crimes as a part of an initiative pushed by the Division of Justice.
Legal professional Common Merrick Garland mentioned there’s been an “encouraging decline” in violent crimes in lots of components of the nation in 2023. Nevertheless, he added that in different areas — together with the nation’s capital — there’s nonetheless a lot work to do.
The Justice Division introduced a surge in further legislation enforcement assets that will probably be dedicated to D.C. violent crimes, together with taking harmful drivers and different offenders off the streets. The announcement comes after District of Columbia police reported a 35% bounce in homicides in 2023, probably the most in 20 years. Police additionally reported a 39% % hike in homicides and 959 carjackings.
Gill served as a senior vp for Capital Markets on the Housing Coverage Council and was an legal professional and a former member of the D.C. Board of Elections, in line with his biography on the Housing Coverage Council’s web site.
The Hill and NewsNation’s Jeff Arnold contributed to this report.
