Andre Clark, a 34-year-old resident of the District, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of Leonard Taylor, Jr. in October 2024. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The plea agreement requires court approval at sentencing and proposes a prison term ranging from 15 to 20 years, followed by supervised release. Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for Clark's plea and scheduled his sentencing for July 11, 2025.
Details presented during the plea hearing revealed that on October 20, 2024, Clark exited a building on the 1500 block of 19th St., SE, approached Taylor who was seated in a gray sedan, and pointed a firearm at him through the driver's side window. As Taylor attempted to drive away, Clark fired his weapon, fatally striking Taylor in the back.
Clark was apprehended in Baltimore, Maryland on December 19, 2024, and has remained in custody since his arrest.
The case was investigated by members of the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich.