Traquon Demonte McCalip, a 21-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to 114 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated assault while armed. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta and includes five years of supervised release following the prison term.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the sentencing.
McCalip pleaded guilty on August 23, 2024, to charges stemming from an incident on March 20, 2024. According to court documents, McCalip approached an individual at a fast-food restaurant parking lot on Minnesota Avenue NE under the pretense of buying cigarettes. After discussing cigarette prices, he attempted to take the individual's bag before drawing a concealed handgun and shooting the person in the abdomen.
A struggle followed between McCalip and the victim until a marked police vehicle arrived at the scene. McCalip retrieved his firearm's magazine that had fallen out during the altercation but left behind his gun as he fled in a parked vehicle. Law enforcement officers pursued him and arrested him near Bladensburg Road NE where they recovered both the firearm magazine and ammunition from his car.
The investigation was conducted by both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor from the Department of Justice.